ABB Robotics division
2025
$5.4B
Why
Agreement announced to buy ABB's industrial robotics business at an enterprise value of $5.375 billion, part of SoftBank's physical AI strategy.
SoftBank Group Corp.
Technology Investment Conglomerate and TelecommunicationsFounded 1981- HQ today: Tokyo, Japan
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Company data updated: October 2026
Acquisitions
SoftBank Acquisitions
8
Major Deals Covered
$38.2B
Disclosed Deal Value
What are SoftBank's biggest acquisitions?
SoftBank's largest disclosed acquisition here is ARM Holdings for $32B in 2016. This page covers 8 major deals from 1995 to 2025, each with its price where disclosed and the reason behind it.
- Major deals covered
- 8
- Largest deal
- ARM Holdings ($32B)
- First deal
- 1995
- Most recent
- 2025
| Company | Year | Price | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| COMDEX | 1995 | $800.0M | SoftBank Group acquired COMDEX in 1995 for $800 million. |
| Kingston Technology | 1996 | Undisclosed | SoftBank Group acquired Kingston Technology in 1996. |
| Vodafone Japan | 2006 | Undisclosed | Bought Vodafone's Japanese mobile business for about $11.7 billion (JPY 1.75 trillion) to become a national mobile carrier. |
| Willcom | 2010 | Undisclosed | SoftBank Group acquired Willcom in 2010. |
| DramaFever | 2015 | Undisclosed | SoftBank Group acquired DramaFever in 2015. |
| ARM Holdings | 2016 | $32.0B | Acquired the British CPU designer for ~$32.1 billion (GBP 24.3 billion) in cash to own a foundational chip architecture. |
| ABB Robotics division | 2025 | $5.4B | Agreement announced to buy ABB's industrial robotics business at an enterprise value of $5.375 billion, part of SoftBank's physical AI strategy. |
| Supercell | 2013 | Undisclosed | SoftBank Group Corp. acquired Supercell in 2013. |
- What companies has SoftBank bought?
- Major acquisitions by SoftBank documented here include ARM Holdings (2016), ABB Robotics division (2025), COMDEX (1995), DramaFever (2015) and Supercell (2013).
- What is SoftBank's most recent acquisition?
- The most recent SoftBank acquisition documented here is ABB Robotics division, in 2025, for $5.4B.
ARM Holdings
2016
$32.0B
Why
Acquired the British CPU designer for ~$32.1 billion (GBP 24.3 billion) in cash to own a foundational chip architecture.
Impact
Arm became SoftBank's most valuable listed holding after its 2023 Nasdaq IPO.
Outcome
SoftBank still owns about 90% of Arm and uses its shares as collateral for financing.
DramaFever
2015
Why
SoftBank Group acquired DramaFever in 2015.
Supercell
2013
Why
SoftBank Group Corp. acquired Supercell in 2013.
Willcom
2010
Why
SoftBank Group acquired Willcom in 2010.
Vodafone Japan
2006
Why
Bought Vodafone's Japanese mobile business for about $11.7 billion (JPY 1.75 trillion) to become a national mobile carrier.
Impact
Gave SoftBank its own mobile network and subscriber base, later the basis of SoftBank Corp.
Outcome
Exclusive iPhone sales from 2008 helped SoftBank gain subscribers against NTT Docomo and KDDI.
Kingston Technology
1996
Why
SoftBank Group acquired Kingston Technology in 1996.
COMDEX
1995
$800M
Why
SoftBank Group acquired COMDEX in 1995 for $800 million.
SoftBank Group Corp.'s Growth & Acquisition Strategy
Masayoshi Son has framed SoftBank's strategy around artificial superintelligence (ASI), meaning ownership across the AI stack. That includes chips and compute (Arm, Ampere Computing, and the Stargate data center venture), models (OpenAI), and physical AI and robotics (the planned $5.375 billion purchase of ABB's robotics division, plus startup bets such as a $200 million investment in Gravis Robotics). The company pays for these moves by selling liquid stakes and raising debt instead of relying on outside Vision Fund capital.
How SoftBank Group Corp. Makes Money
SoftBank Group makes money in two ways. Operating revenue comes mainly from SoftBank Corp. (TSE: 9434), its consolidated Japanese mobile, broadband, enterprise and fintech subsidiary, which reported FY2025 revenue of ~$47.2 billion (JPY 7.04 trillion). Arm Holdings (Nasdaq: ARM), majority-owned by SoftBank, adds licensing and royalty revenue from its CPU designs. The second and much more volatile engine is investment gains: changes in the fair value of the Vision Fund portfolios, the OpenAI stake and listed holdings, plus proceeds when assets are sold. SoftBank funds new bets with cash, bonds, margin loans backed by Arm and SoftBank Corp. shares, and asset sales. In 2025-2026 those sales included its whole Nvidia stake and, per Q1 FY2026 disclosures, 71.5% of its TSMC holding.
SoftBank Acquisitions FAQ
What was the landmark £24 billion ($32 billion) acquisition of Arm Holdings in 2016?
In September 2016, SoftBank completed the acquisition of British semiconductor IP designer Arm Holdings for £24 billion (~$32 billion) in cash, representing the largest technology acquisition in European corporate history at the time.
What was the $21.6 billion acquisition of Sprint in 2013?
In July 2013, SoftBank acquired a 78% controlling stake in US wireless carrier Sprint for $21.6 billion, creating the third-largest mobile operator group in the world before orchestrating its merger with T-Mobile US in 2020.
What was the acquisition of Vodafone Japan in 2006?
In March 2006, SoftBank acquired Vodafone's struggling Japanese subsidiary for ¥1.75 trillion (~$15 billion), executing a bold debt-financed buyout that transformed SoftBank into a premier Japanese telecom giant.
What was the acquisition of Fortress Investment Group in 2017?
In December 2017, SoftBank acquired US alternative asset manager Fortress Investment Group for $3.3 billion in cash, bringing institutional credit and private equity asset management expertise to support the Vision Fund.
What was the acquisition and sale of Boston Dynamics?
In 2017, SoftBank acquired world-renowned robotics maker Boston Dynamics from Alphabet (Google). After advancing its quadruped robot Spot, SoftBank sold an 80% controlling stake to Hyundai Motor Group in 2021 for $1.1 billion while retaining a 20% interest.
What were the 1990s acquisitions of Ziff-Davis and Comdex?
In the mid-1990s, SoftBank acquired premier US computer publisher Ziff-Davis Publishing for $2.1 billion and computer trade show giant Comdex for $800 million, securing global control over technology media and trade exhibitions.
What was the attempted sale of Arm to Nvidia in 2020-2022?
In September 2020, SoftBank agreed to sell Arm to Nvidia for up to $40 billion in cash and stock. However, regulatory lawsuits from the US FTC, UK CMA, and EU forced the cancellation of the transaction in February 2022, prompting Arm's 2023 IPO.
What was the acquisition of Graphcore in 2024?
In July 2024, SoftBank acquired British AI chip designer Graphcore for an estimated $600 million, integrating its IPU (Intelligence Processing Unit) engineering talent into SoftBank's expanding AI semiconductor hardware initiative.
What was the acquisition of mobile games giant Supercell?
In 2013, SoftBank and GungHo acquired a 51% stake in Finnish mobile gaming phenomenon Supercell (Clash of Clans) for $1.53 billion, later increasing its stake before selling it to Tencent in 2016 for $8.6 billion, generating a massive profit.
How did SoftBank structure the Sprint and T-Mobile merger in 2020?
In April 2020, SoftBank finalized the merger of Sprint with T-Mobile US, exchanging Sprint equity for T-Mobile US common stock and contingent value rights, creating an immensely profitable, highly liquid multi-billion-dollar holding.
What is SoftBank's M&A criteria under Masayoshi Son today?
SoftBank focuses strictly on foundational Artificial Superintelligence (ASI) infrastructure: energy generation, AI semiconductor architecture, humanoid robotics, and specialized AI models that can compound with Arm's global reach.
How does SoftBank finance mega-acquisitions?
SoftBank utilizes asset-backed margin loans against its public equity holdings (Arm and T-Mobile), non-recourse project financing, domestic Japanese retail bond issuances, and strategic co-investments from sovereign wealth funds.
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