SoftBank Buys ABB’s Robotics Unit for $5.4 Billion — A Bold Move Toward the “Physical AI” Era

𝐓𝐨𝐤𝐲𝐨, 𝐎𝐜𝐭 𝟖 – Reuters reports that Japan’s SoftBank Group has agreed to acquire ABB’s industrial robotics business for $5.38 billion, marking one of the largest tech deals of 2025 and signaling Masayoshi Son’s renewed ambition to merge artificial intelligence with robotics.

𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬

• ABB’s robotics division employs ~7,000 people and generates around $2.3 billion in annual revenue.
• The transaction is expected to close in mid-to-late 2026.
• ABB shares rose ~2% after the announcement.
• ABB said proceeds will be used to strengthen its core electrification and automation operations.

𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐤’𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son called the deal “a leap into a future where AI not only thinks, but acts.” The company plans to integrate ABB’s advanced robotics technology with its AI expertise to create next-generation “physical AI” systems capable of interacting and working alongside humans — from industrial production lines to elder-care robots.

𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭

• 𝐀𝐁𝐁 𝐋𝐭𝐝 stock gained as investors welcomed a cash-rich restructuring that could enhance profitability.
• 𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 (𝟗𝟗𝟖𝟒.𝐓) saw speculative buying in Tokyo as investors viewed the move as a comeback strategy for Son’s innovation-driven empire.
• Competitors such as 𝐅𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐜, 𝐘𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐚𝐰𝐚 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜, and 𝐊𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐢 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 may benefit from renewed global focus on industrial robotics.

𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭
Market strategists describe this deal as the dawn of a new AI phase — where intelligence moves beyond software into the real world. SoftBank’s acquisition could position Japan at the forefront of “embodied intelligence,” blending data, sensors, and robotics into the next frontier of technological evolution.