Japanese technology giant SoftBank Group Corp. announced on Tuesday that it will acquire the robotics division of Swiss industrial heavyweight ABB for approximately $53.75 billion (8 trillion yen). The deal, one of the largest tech acquisitions of 2025, is expected to close in 2026, pending regulatory approval in the European Union, the United States, and China. Reported by The WP Times, citing NUME.ch.
Expanding the AI Frontier into the Physical World
The acquisition marks a decisive step in SoftBank’s expansion from digital AI into “Physical AI” — a term that CEO Masayoshi Son uses to describe the integration of artificial intelligence with robotics, automation, and real-world systems.
“The next frontier is Physical AI — where robotics and autonomous technologies merge with artificial superintelligence to transform humanity’s future,” Son said in a statement.
SoftBank plans to merge ABB’s robotics division into its newly established holding company Robo Holdings, which already consolidates 20 robotics-related firms from within the SoftBank ecosystem. The aim is to create a global leader in intelligent industrial automation capable of driving the next stage of AI-powered manufacturing.
Four Strategic Pillars for the AI Age
The robotics acquisition fits within SoftBank’s broader four-pillar investment strategy:
- Semiconductors – centered on its British chip subsidiary Arm Holdings, whose processors power most smartphones and emerging AI systems.
- Data Centers – through the massive U.S.-based “Stargate Project”, designed to host future AI infrastructure.
- Energy – with investments in sustainable and efficient energy systems to power global AI networks.
- Robotics – now strengthened by the acquisition of ABB’s world-class robotics technologies.
SoftBank also plans to build AI-driven “Industrial Parks” in the United States, where robotic systems will perform automated manufacturing tasks connected to SoftBank’s cloud computing and data infrastructure.
ABB: A Global Robotics Powerhouse
ABB Robotics, headquartered in Zurich, ranks among the world’s top four industrial robot manufacturers alongside Japan’s Fanuc, Yaskawa Electric, and Germany’s KUKA. ABB reported $32.8 billion in revenue and $3.9 billion in net profit in fiscal year 2024, with its robotics division accounting for around 7% of total sales.
For ABB, the sale represents a strategic refocus on its core businesses — electrification, automation, and sustainable industrial solutions — while allowing SoftBank to leverage the robotics know-how for its Artificial Superintelligence (ASI) ambitions.
Masayoshi Son’s Global Vision
SoftBank founder and CEO Masayoshi Son is one of Asia’s most influential entrepreneurs. Born in Japan and educated in the U.S., Son built SoftBank from a small software distributor into a global technology empire with holdings in Arm, T-Mobile, Alibaba, Boston Dynamics, and dozens of AI startups.
Through its $100 billion Vision Fund, SoftBank has backed companies across the U.S., Europe, India, and the Middle East, shaping the global technology landscape. The ABB deal underscores Son’s ambition to position Japan as a central force in the upcoming “Industry 5.0” era, where artificial intelligence, robotics, and energy systems converge.
Industry analysts see the acquisition as a strategic move that could accelerate Japan’s influence in global automation and robotics — fields increasingly seen as essential to the world’s next phase of industrial development.
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