ABB Divests Robotics Division to SoftBank Group

ABB Ltd has announced an agreement to sell its Robotics division to SoftBank Group for an enterprise value of $5.375 billion. The transaction intends to leverage ABB Robotics' technology and industry expertise with SoftBank's capabilities in AI and next-gen computing.

The deal, pending regulatory approval, is expected to close by late 2026. ABB aims to use the proceeds according to its capital allocation principles, enhancing shareholder value immediately. The divestment decision diverges from ABB's prior plan to spin off the division as a separate entity.

ABB Robotics, with approximately 7,000 employees and 2024 revenues of $2.3 billion, will be reported as discontinued operations starting the fourth quarter of 2025. The transaction promises a pre-tax book gain of $2.4 billion, despite estimated separation costs of $200 million.