SoftBank reportedly weighs $100 billion valuation for new AI and robotics spinout in potential U.S. IPO

CANADA - 2025/08/07: In this photo illustration, the SoftBank Group (Soft Bank) logo is seen displayed on a smartphone screen. (Photo Illustration by Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via ) Sopa Images | Lightrocket | SoftBank Group is planning to create and list a standalone artificial intelligence and robotics company in the U.S. as early as this year, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. The new entity, to be called "Roze," will focus on building data centers and using robotics to improve the efficiency of AI infrastructure construction, according to the report, which cited anonymous sources familiar with the matter. SoftBank founder and Chief Executive Masayoshi Son is driving the effort, with executives reportedly targeting a valuation of about $100 billion and aiming to pursue the initial public offering this year. However, the report noted that the valuation target and timeline could shift and that the plans are considered ambitious by some SoftBank executives, in part due to uncertainties stemming from the conflict in the Middle East. Son's AI risk appetite has been growing in recent years, with tens of billions of dollars committed to the sector. Investors, however, have raised concerns about how SoftBank will fund those investments, particularly its backing of OpenAI, which remains unprofitable. The proposed listing could help offset some of the major pledges, including more than $30 billion committed to OpenAI. …