By: JBizNews Desk 🌎
SoftBank and ABB are exploring a way to separate ABB’s Chinese robotics operations from a $5.4 billion takeover, a move that could keep the broader sale alive after Chinese authorities blocked the acquisition in China, Bloomberg reported Saturday.
The proposal would put the China business into a separate entity with different ownership, according to people familiar with the matter cited by Bloomberg. China accounts for about 30% of ABB’s robotics business and is its largest robotics market.
ABB confirmed Thursday that SoftBank had informed it that China’s Office of the Working Mechanism for Foreign Investment Security Review prohibited the acquisition of ABB Robotics’ business in China. The companies agreed in October 2025 on an enterprise value of $5.375 billion for the robotics division.
The Swiss engineering group said the transaction remained subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, with SoftBank managing the approval process. ABB said the companies were in close dialogue and working constructively on the transaction.
A China carve-out would change the structure of a major robotics transaction at a time when governments are scrutinizing foreign ownership of advanced technology.
JBizNews Desk | Zurich, Switzerland
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