An ABB robot on a production line at the Sony UK Technology Center in Pencoed, UK.
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Flexible banking group said Monday it has agreed to buy Swiss engineering firm ABB’s robotics division for $5.4 billion, as the Japanese giant seeks to bolster its artificial intelligence plays.
The agreement, which is subject to regulatory approval globally, means Abb will no longer seek to spin off its robotics business as a separately listed company.
“SoftBank’s next frontier is physical AI. With ABB Robotics, we will unite world-class technology and talent under our shared vision to merge artificial super intelligence and robotics – driving a revolutionary evolution that will propel humanity forward,” Masayoshi, founder of SoftBank, said in a statement.
Artificial Super Intelligence, or ASI, is his son’s idea of AI that is 10,000 times smarter than humans.
The son has sought to position Softbank at the center of the potential AI boom through investments and acquisitions in different areas of technology. SoftBank owns Chip Designer ARM, for example, and has a major stake in OpenAI.
SoftBank already has robot-related investments, including Autostore Holdings and Agile Robots.
Morten Wierod, who became CEO of ABB in August 2024, pushed the spinoff of the company’s robotics unit as a strategic move.
ABB said in a statement that the sale would “create immediate value for ABB shareholders.” The company said it would use the proceeds from the transaction “in accordance with its well-established capital allocation principles.”
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