M&AIndustrialsSIGNED
China blocks SoftBank’s $5.4bn takeover of ABB’s robotics division
Value
$5.4Bn
Acquirer
SoftBank
Target
ABB’s robotics division
China has blocked SoftBank’s proposed $5.4bn acquisition of ABB’s robotics division. The Swiss-Swedish engineering unit has a heavy operational focus on the Chinese market, including a mega-factory located in Pudong.
✦ Meridian Analysis
SoftBank’s proposed $5.4 billion acquisition of ABB’s robotics division has been signed but is now stalled after Chinese regulators blocked the deal. The transaction includes a large manufacturing plant in Pudong.
Meridian reported that SoftBank is courting Gulf investors for a €87.2 billion AI‑focused fund and, in October, DigitalBridge agreed to buy SoftBank’s data‑centre infrastructure arm for $4 billion.
What remains undisclosed are the valuation multiples applied to the robotics division, the composition of the debt financing, and the identities of the legal and financial advisers. Observers will watch for any appeal or renegotiation with Chinese authorities, the timeline for a possible alternative structure, and whether SoftBank will adjust its broader acquisition pipeline in response to this regulatory hurdle.
Additional sources: Reuters
The Meridian Weekly
The week's largest deals and the Iberian ones, every Monday. Free.