At the shareholders' meeting, SoftBank Group Chairman Masayoshi Son announced a major strategic decision: the company has started mass production of robots at a factory and will soon launch new products for physical AI application scenarios. He emphasized that this move marks SoftBank's official return to the core track of the robotics field after the setback of the Pepper robot project and the sale of Boston Dynamics.
Son revealed that SoftBank is building an "overwhelming world No.1" robotics industry ecosystem by integrating top robotics companies in various vertical fields globally. He specifically mentioned that the company plans to complete the acquisition of Swiss industrial giant ABB's robotics business in 2026, which has been incorporated into the strategic development timeline. According to public information, the acquisition involves approximately $5.4 billion and is currently awaiting regulatory approval, with the transaction expected to close in mid-to-late 2026.
Looking back at SoftBank's robotics industry layout, the acquisition of Boston Dynamics from Google in 2017 was once seen as an important milestone. However, due to strategic adjustments, the company gradually transferred its equity to Hyundai Motor Group starting in 2021. This restart of the robotics business is regarded by the industry as an important move by Masayoshi Son in the field of artificial intelligence. He publicly stated that physical AI will become SoftBank's "next frontier" technology direction, aiming to create globally competitive AI solutions by integrating world-class technical teams and industrial resources.
Regarding the controversy over technical routes, Masayoshi Son recently publicly evaluated Tesla CEO Elon Musk's "space data center" plan. He pointed out that although the space environment can reduce electricity costs by 7%, hardware transportation, maintenance costs, and communication delay issues will severely constrain the project's economics. In contrast, SoftBank is focusing on ground-based physical AI applications, achieving commercial deployment of technology through mass-produced robots. This strategic difference highlights the different layout ideas of the two tech giants in the AI infrastructure field.
Financial data shows that SoftBank Group's performance in fiscal year 2025 reached a record high. The full-year net profit attributable to the parent company was 550.8 billion yen, a year-on-year increase of 4.7%; operating revenue exceeded 7.0387 trillion yen, an increase of 7.6%. The strong financial performance provides solid support for its robot business expansion. According to insiders, the newly mass-produced robots will integrate advanced sensor technology and AI algorithms, with the first batch of products expected to target the manufacturing and logistics sectors.
A previous announcement from ABB Group showed that the acquired robotics business is valued at $5.375 billion (approximately RMB 38.3 billion). This division holds an important position in the global industrial automation market, with a complete robot product line and technology patent library. If this acquisition can be successfully completed, SoftBank will directly obtain mature technology systems and customer networks, accelerating the implementation of its physical AI strategy.
