Japanese conglomerate SoftBank Group Corp. said it is acquiring the robotics business of ABB Ltd. at US$5.375 billion (¥8187 billion). This means the Swiss automation company will no longer pursue its earlier announcement to spin-off its robotics business as a separately listed company.

SoftBank expects to close the acquisition from mid to late 2026, subject to customary regulatory approvals in the European Union, China, and the United States.

To Boost AI Robotics Business

SoftBank said the acquisition is part of the company’s overall strategy of actively investing and expanding in four fields namely: artificial intelligence (AI) chips; AI robots; AI data centers; and energy.

“The Acquisition is part of this strategy and is expected to significantly strengthen (SoftBank’s) AI robotics business. ABB’s robotics business is a globally recognized brand, known for its reliability and high performance, supported by extensive sales channels and customer relationships,” said the company in a statement issued Wednesday (Oct. 8), explaining the rationale of the acquisition.

The acquisition will complement SoftBank’s robotics expertise and platform. SoftBank’s existing robotics-related investments include SoftBank Robotics Group Corp., Berkshire Grey, Inc., AutoStore Holdings Ltd., Agile Robots SE, and Skild AI, Inc., among others. Accordingly, this will accelerate innovation in AI robotics and drive progress and growth toward the realization of its artificial super intelligence (ASI).

08 October 2025