ABB sells its robotics division to Japan’s SoftBank for $5.375bn
8 October 2025 
UPDATED: ABB is selling its robotics division to the Japanese investor SoftBank Group (SBG) for $5.375bn. In doing so, it has decided not to pursue its earlier plan to spin off the business as a separately listed company. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, and is expected to close in mid-to-late 2026.
The ABB Robotics division has a workforce of around 7,000 and its revenues in 2024 were $2.3bn – or about 7% of ABB’s total Group revenues. Last year, it had an operational EBITA margin of 12.1%. The business is a leader in its sector, but the ABB board felt that there were limited business and technology synergies between ABB Robotics and the rest of its businesses, with different demand and market characteristics.
Softbank has earmarked AI robotics as one of four “essential” sectors in which it is actively investing and expanding. The other three are AI chips, AI data centres and energy. It is also investing in companies at the forefront of generative AI.
SBG expects the ABB Robotics acquisition to strengthen its AI robotics business “significantly”. It says the business is a globally recognised brand, known for its reliability and high performance, supported by extensive sales channels and customer relationships. The Group believes it is “well-positioned to reignite the robotics business’s growth”, particularly through investment in cutting-edge technologies such as AI.
The robotics platform, expertise and existing local footprint will complement SBG’s existing robotics-related investments – which include SoftBank Robotics Group, Berkshire Grey, AutoStore Holdings, Agile Robots and Skild AI – to accelerate innovation in AI robotics and drive progress towards “artificial super intelligence” (ASI).
“SoftBank’s next frontier is physical AI,” explains SBG chairman and CEO, Masayoshi Son. “Together with ABB Robotics, we will unite world-class technology and talent under our shared vision to fuse ASI and robotics – driving a groundbreaking evolution that will propel humanity forward.”
“SoftBank will be an excellent new home for the business and its employees,” says ABB CEO, Morten Wierod. “ABB and SoftBank share the same perspective that the world is entering a new era of AI-based robotics and believe that the division and SoftBank’s robotics offering can best shape this era together. ABB Robotics will benefit from the combination of its leading technology and deep industry expertise with SoftBank’s state-of-the-art capabilities in AI, robotics and next-generation computing. This will allow the business to strengthen and expand its position as a technology leader in its field.”
ABB’s chairman, Peter Voser, says that Softbank’s offer for the robotics division was “carefully evaluated by the board and executive committee and compared with our original intention for a spin-off. It reflects the long-term strengths of the division, and the divestment will create immediate value to ABB shareholders. ABB will use the proceeds from the transaction in line with its well-established capital allocation principles. Our ambitions for ABB are unchanged and we will continue to focus on our long-term strategy, building on our leading positions in electrification and automation.”
Following the deal, ABB will change its reporting structure and will move to three business areas. As of the fourth quarter 2025, the robotics division will be a “discontinued operation”. At the same time, its machine automation division (including B&R Automation), which together with ABB Robotics currently forms the Robotics & Discrete Automation business area, will become a part of the process automation business.
When the deal closes, the divestment will result in a non-operational pre-tax book gain of around $2.4bn with expected cash proceeds, net of transaction costs, of around $5.3bn. The expected separation costs related to the divestment are around $200m. ABB’s current best estimate of the transaction-related cash tax outflows resulting from the local business carve-out are in the range of $400–500m.
Sami Atiya, president of ABB’s Robotics & Discrete Automation business and member of its executive committee, will leave ABB by the end of 2026. He will step down from the executive committee at the end of 2025 and will continue to support the robotics business and the carve-out process in 2026 as a strategic advisor.
ABB CEO Wierod says: “Since joining ABB almost 10 years ago, Sami has played an instrumental role in building a robotics business that covers everything from industrial robots to state-of-the-art collaborative and autonomous mobile robots, backed by some of the most advanced software and AI solutions. He has played a key role across ABB in establishing AI as an important driver of how we create value for customers and other stakeholders. We thank Sami for his outstanding contribution to the success of our company and wish him all the best for both his professional and personal future endeavours.”
Samantha Mou, a senior analyst for industrial robotics at Interact Analysis, says that Softbank’s acquisition of ABB Robotics, with an implied EV/EBITDA multiple of 17.2x, is broadly in line with other major industrial transactions. The 15x multiple that the Chinese manufacturer Midea paid for the German robot-maker Kuka in 2016, “suggests SoftBank is paying a modest premium – negligible given the current AI robotics hype cycle, where emerging players command far higher valuations.
“Considering the intensive competition in traditional robotics, established manufacturers like ABB will need to lead the charge in AI-driven robotics to protect their margins,” Mou adds. “However, achieving this will require significant investment. The substantial long-term R&D costs may be a key factor behind ABB’s decision to sell its robotics business.
She suggests that the move may push ABB’s rivals, particularly the other “big four” players, to accelerate their collaborations with AI and software companies, or to bring in investors, “ensuring they have the resources to stay competitive in the AI-driven robotics space”.
“SoftBank has yet to establish a successful track record in robotics investments,” Mou points out. “This deal marks its first acquisition in the industrial robotics area, and it remains to be seen whether its IT-industry culture can effectively integrate with the industrial engineering tradition at ABB Robotics.”
