SoftBank Plots IPO for New Robotics Venture

SoftBank is creating Roze AI, a new venture focused on industrial AI and robotics that it plans to take public as soon as the second half of 2026. The group will bundle energy, land and infrastructure bets into the new unit and could use its energy arm to power projects, while keeping SB Energy separate. The move underscores investor appetite for AI-linked listings and reinforces SoftBank’s shift toward industrial robotics following its ~$5.4 billion agreement to acquire ABB’s robotics division. For markets, the planned IPO could boost investor interest in Japan’s tech and industrial complex and act as a positive catalyst for Japanese equities, though SoftBank’s history of capital-intensive missteps tempers the outlook.