SoftBank to buy ABB’s robot business for $5.4 billion in push to merge AI and robotics

October 8, 2025 5:16 PM

SoftBank to buy ABB’s robot business for $5.4 billion in push to merge AI and robotics

SoftBank Group has agreed to buy the robotics business of Swiss engineering group ABB in a $5.4 billion deal, as the Japanese investor forges ahead with a strategy to fuse robotics and artificial intelligence. The acquisition, announced on Wednesday, is the latest by founder and CEO Masayoshi Son to establish Softbank as a core player in the development of artificial intelligence. SoftBank pushed into humanoid robotics a decade ago with its Pepper robot but later scaled back its ambitions. It...

SoftBank in talks to invest up to $25 billion into OpenAI, says source

January 30, 2025 11:06 AM

SoftBank in talks to invest up to $25 billion into OpenAI, says source

SoftBank is in talks to invest up to $25 billion in ChatGPT owner OpenAI, according to a person familiar with the matter, as the Japanese conglomerate continues to expand into the sector. SoftBank could invest $15 billion to $25 billion directly into Microsoft-backed OpenAI, some of which may be used to pay for OpenAI's commitment to Stargate, the person said. Stargate is a joint venture by Oracle, OpenAI and SoftBank, that plans to invest up to $500 billion to help the United States stay ahea...

SoftBank’s Masayoshi sees India as future AI chip capital

November 28, 2024 3:03 PM

SoftBank’s Masayoshi sees India as future AI chip capital

SoftBank Founder and CEO Masayoshi Son has expressed confidence in India’s potential to emerge as the global hub for AI chip manufacturing. Speaking during a meeting with leading Indian startup founders in New Delhi, Son underlined his commitment to investing heavily in artificial intelligence (AI) in the country. This visit marks Son’s first trip to India in two years. While reports suggest he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit, there has been no official confirmation of the...