SoftBank Eyes $100 Billion U.S. IPO for AI and Robotics Spin-off

SoftBank Group is preparing to spin off its artificial intelligence and robotics operations into a new entity, 'Roze,' with plans for a U.S. public listing as early as this year. Driven by CEO Masayoshi Son, the move is designed to create a specialized vehicle focused on the construction and efficiency of AI infrastructure, specifically targeting data center development. The proposed IPO carries an ambitious valuation target of approximately $100 billion. Roze is expected to integrate a variety of SoftBank's existing assets, including land, energy, and infrastructure. A key component of the new firm will be ABB Robotics, which SoftBank acquired last year, combining high-end hardware with advanced AI capabilities to streamline infrastructure builds. This strategic pivot comes as SoftBank navigates massive capital commitments to the AI sector, including over $30 billion pledged to OpenAI. The IPO could provide a critical liquidity event to offset these expenditures and support the 'Stargate' project—a $500 billion collaborative effort with Oracle and OpenAI to expand U.S. data center capacity. While the Vision Fund recently posted a $2.4 billion gain in the December quarter, some internal executives remain cautious about the timeline due to geopolitical instability in the Middle East. Despite these headwinds, SoftBank's shares have climbed more than 18% this year as investors bet on Son's AI-centric vision.