SoftBank Group Corp. announced a major strategic acquisition on October 8, 2025, purchasing ABB Ltd.'s robotics division for $5.375 billion. This significant transaction underscores SoftBank's deep commitment to accelerating the convergence of Artificial Super Intelligence and advanced robotics, aiming to usher in a new era of intelligent automation across industries.
The deal is currently slated to finalize in the mid-to-late part of 2026, contingent upon securing necessary regulatory clearances in key global markets, including the European Union, China, and the United States. SoftBank Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son articulated a vision where the integration of ABB Robotics' established technological expertise and its workforce of approximately 7,000 employees will drive a substantial evolution in machine capabilities. ABB Robotics, based in Zurich, Switzerland, is recognized as a leader in industrial automation, providing sophisticated systems for tasks such as precise picking, cleaning, and high-quality painting applications.
In 2024, the division generated $2.3 billion in revenue, which accounted for roughly 7% of ABB's total turnover, highlighting the scale of the assets being transferred. For ABB Ltd., the divestiture represents a strategic pivot, enabling the company to concentrate its resources on its core competencies within electrification and broader industrial automation solutions. The capital received from the sale will be allocated according to ABB's established framework.
This acquisition substantially solidifies SoftBank's footprint in the high-growth sector of AI-powered robotics, building upon its previous investments in entities like AutoStore Holdings, Agile Robots, and Aldebaran, the developer of the Pepper humanoid robot. The integration process, expected to span over a year until the 2026 closing, will be critical for harmonizing corporate cultures and technological platforms. The ultimate success will be measured by the synergy achieved between ABB's proven industrial hardware and SoftBank's ongoing pursuit of Artificial Super Intelligence, suggesting a future of more adaptive, autonomously learning machines.
The market is closely monitoring this development to assess how this fusion will reshape the competitive dynamics within the global industrial automation landscape.