ABB agrees to sell its robotics division to SoftBank Group for about $5.4B, dropping spin-off plan

ABB Robotics

SoftBank signed a definitive agreement to buy ABB's robotics business for $5.375B, subject to EU, China and US approvals, with closing expected mid-to-late 2026. SoftBank framed the deal as part of its push into AI robots alongside AI chips, data centres and energy.

• $5.375B purchase price; Marc Segura (ABB Robotics president) continues to lead the unit post-close.
• Closing mid-to-late 2026 pending approvals (EU merger, China security, US regulatory reviews).
• ABB abandons separate spin-off plan in favour of SoftBank's integrated AI + robotics + energy strategy.
• Deal signals SoftBank conviction in physical AI as core to its energy and automation portfolio.