SoftBank to Acquire ABB’s Robotics Business Amid Growing AI-Related Investments

SoftBank Group plans to acquire ABB’s robotics business for $5.375 billion, saying the move will complement its existing investments in artificial intelligence and robots.

Subject to customary closing conditions, SoftBank expects the acquisition to close in mid- to late-2026, the company said in a Wednesday (Oct. 8) press release.

The acquisition is part of SoftBank’s growing business in four areas related to AI, including AI chips, AI robots, AI data centers and energy, according to the release.

SoftBank expects that after the acquisition, ABB’s robotics business will be complemented by SoftBank’s existing investments in the field, including SoftBank Robotics Group, Berkshire Grey, AutoStore Holdings, Agile Robots and Skild AI, the release said.

ABB’s robotics business is a globally recognized brand with extensive sales channels and customer relationships, and SoftBank’s investment in cutting-edge technologies can “reignite the robotics business’s growth,” per the release.

“SoftBank’s next frontier is physical AI,” SoftBank Group Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son said in the release. “Together with ABB Robotics, we will unite world-class technology and talent under our shared vision to fuse artificial super intelligence and robotics—driving a groundbreaking evolution that will propel humanity forward.”

In its own press release about the acquisition, ABB said it had planned to spin off its robotics business as a separately listed company because there are limited synergies between that business and ABB’s other businesses, which include electrification and automation.

After evaluating SoftBank’s offer, ABB determined that the offer reflects the long-term strengths of the business and creates immediate value for ABB shareholders, according to the release.

“SoftBank will be an excellent new home for the business and its employees,” ABB CEO Morten Wierod said in the release. “ABB and SoftBank share the same perspective that the world is entering a new era of AI-based robotics and believe that the division and SoftBank’s robotics offering can best shape this era together.”

It was reported in May that ABB was exploring a spinoff or sale of its robotics business as the company shifts its focus to more profitable areas, such as the electrification business that has benefited from the rise of new data centers being built to meet AI demand.

SoftBank announced in August that it is making a $2 billion investment into chipmaker Intel as part of a commitment to investing in advanced technology and semiconductor innovation in the United States.

The company said at the time that its ongoing efforts in the AI sector include a $40 billion investment into OpenAI and a partnership with OpenAI and Oracle to invest an initial $100 billion and up to $500 billion to build AI infrastructure.

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