Japanese investing conglomerate SoftBank Group is buying a robotics company as the financial behemoth says physical AI is its next frontier.

SoftBank announced on Wednesday that it has acquired Zurich, Switzerland-based ABB Group’s robotics business unit for $5.375 billion . The deal is subject to regulatory approval; SoftBank predicts the deal will close in mid-to-late 2026 according to a press release. Sami Atiya, the head of the division, will exit the company once the acquisition is complete, per ABB Group.

ABB’s robotics business employs roughly 7,000 people and sells a variety of robots and equipment, designed for tasks like picking, cleaning and painting. The company made $2.3 billion in revenue in 2024, representing 7% of ABB’s overall revenue. ABB announced plans to sp

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