In a bold leap toward its artificial superintelligence dream, SoftBank Group Corp. announced Wednesday that it will acquire the robotics division of Swedish-Swiss engineering giant ABB Ltd. for $5.375 billion. The move marks one of the year’s largest tech acquisitions and positions SoftBank as a global powerhouse in next-generation robotics and AI systems.
Under the agreement, ABB will spin off its robotics division into a new Swiss holding company, with SoftBank acquiring 100% ownership of the entity, which will become a wholly owned SoftBank subsidiary.
Legal Heavyweights Behind the Deal
SoftBank is being advised by Morrison Foerster, with Tokyo office managing partner Ken Siegel leading alongside Gary Brown, Stuart Alford, and Luke Rowland.
Meanwhile, Freshfields LLP is guiding ABB through the transaction, led by partners Piers Prichard Jones and Tom Godwin, with counsel Piusha Bose assisting.
Superintelligence Meets Robotics
SoftBank said the acquisition is part of its strategic push to merge artificial superintelligence with robotics, citing ABB’s reputation for reliability, innovation, and a vast customer network across automotive, logistics, and electronics sectors.
“Together with ABB Robotics, we will unite world-class technology and talent under our shared vision to fuse artificial superintelligence and robotics, driving a groundbreaking evolution that will propel humanity forward,” said Masayoshi Son, SoftBank’s chair and CEO.
