SoftBank Group is planning to create and list a new company focused on artificial intelligence and robotics in the U.S. as early as this year, according to the Financial Times on Thursday. This new company, to be called “Roze,” will focus on building data centers and using robots to make AI infrastructure construction more efficient. The report cited anonymous sources familiar with the plan.
SoftBank’s founder and CEO, Masayoshi Son, is leading this effort. Executives are reportedly aiming for a valuation of about $100 billion and want to launch the initial public offering (IPO) this year. However, the report noted that the target valuation and timeline might change. Some SoftBank executives see these plans as ambitious, partly because of uncertainties from the conflict in the Middle East.
Son’s willingness to take risks with AI has grown in recent years, with tens of billions of dollars committed to the sector. However, investors have wondered how SoftBank will pay for these investments, especially its support for OpenAI, which is still not making a profit. The planned listing of Roze could help cover some of SoftBank’s major commitments, including over $30 billion pledged to OpenAI.
Roze could also reportedly combine existing energy, land, and infrastructure assets from SoftBank’s portfolio. It might also include ABB Robotics, which SoftBank agreed to buy last year. ABB Robotics is a global leader in robotics and machine automation. SoftBank expects to combine ABB’s robotics hardware with advanced AI capabilities.
Son’s AI ambitions have increasingly focused on the U.S., with the firm already becoming a major funder of American AI infrastructure. Early last year, SoftBank joined OpenAI, Oracle, and others on the Stargate project. This is a planned $500 billion investment to build AI data center capacity across the U.S.
The company has also been quickly building its own data centers, including a large project in Ohio. SoftBank reported a $2.4 billion gain in its Vision Fund in the December quarter. Gains from its OpenAI investment helped make up for losses in some of its other ventures. The firm’s stock was trading 0.9% lower on Thursday but is up more than 18% this year.
