Softbank is preparing a major new move in AI and robotics: a company called Roze that could be launched and taken public in the United States. According to the Financial Times, the IPO could happen as early as this year and may target a valuation of up to $100 billion.
The plan puts several of Softbank’s biggest priorities into one package. Roze would build data centers, could include the recently acquired ABB Robotics, and may help Softbank manage the financial pressure created by its large AI spending.
A new company built around AI infrastructure
Roze is described as a new AI and robotics company, but the plan is not only about robots. The company would also build data centers, making it part of the broader infrastructure push behind artificial intelligence.
That matters because AI companies and investors increasingly need physical capacity to support computing-heavy products and services. In this case, the source article identifies data centers as a core part of Roze’s expected work, while also saying the company could incorporate ABB Robotics.
The possible combination is notable because it brings together two connected but distinct areas: AI infrastructure and robotics. Data centers support the computing side. Robotics brings the physical automation side. Softbank’s plan appears to place both under one company that could be presented to public-market investors.
The IPO target is large and fast
The reported timeline is aggressive. The IPO could take place as early as this year, with a target valuation of up to $100 billion. That would make Roze a very large public-market proposal from the start, even before the company has been established as a standalone public business.
The source also says an analyst day is planned for July at a data center in Texas. That kind of event would give Softbank a venue to explain the plan, frame the company’s role, and show how Roze fits into its wider investment strategy.
For investors, the central questions would be straightforward:
- How Roze would turn data center plans into a durable business.
- How ABB Robotics could fit inside the new company if it is included.
- Whether the proposed valuation can be supported by the assets, strategy, and expected growth.
- Whether the timing makes sense given the uncertainties mentioned in the report.
The article notes that some Softbank executives reportedly view both the valuation and the timeline as overly ambitious. That internal caution is important because it suggests the plan is not being treated as simple or guaranteed, even within Softbank.
Softbank’s spending pressure is central
The IPO plan is also connected to Softbank’s financial position. According to the report, Softbank founder Masayoshi Son wants to use the IPO to offset the company’s massive spending. The source specifically points to Softbank’s roughly $30 billion investment in OpenAI as part of that spending.
This gives the Roze plan a second purpose. It is not only a bet on AI and robotics as business sectors. It could also become a way for Softbank to raise value from a new public company while continuing to fund its broader strategy.
The source says Softbank is already pushing up against its own debt limits and needs to sell assets to keep funding its spending spree. That makes the IPO more than a branding exercise. If the plan moves forward, it would sit inside a larger effort to keep capital available while Softbank continues making expensive AI-related moves.
That tension explains why the valuation and timing matter so much. A high valuation could help Softbank offset spending more effectively. A fast IPO could bring that benefit sooner. But both choices also raise execution risk, especially if market conditions or investor appetite are not aligned with the plan.
Why Roze could become a test of Softbank’s AI strategy
Softbank’s reported plan for Roze reflects a wider strategic idea: AI is not just software. It depends on infrastructure, financing, and physical systems. By building a company around data centers and potentially ABB Robotics, Softbank would be packaging those pieces into a public-market story.
Still, the report makes clear that the proposal faces doubts. Some executives see the timeline and valuation as overly ambitious, and the article points to current geopolitical uncertainties as one reason for caution. Those uncertainties are not described in detail in the source, so the key point is simply that they are part of the reported concern.
If Roze proceeds, the planned July analyst day in Texas could become an important moment for explaining the company’s scope. Softbank would need to show why a new AI and robotics company belongs in public markets so quickly, why data centers are central to the plan, and how the business connects to Softbank’s existing commitments.
For now, the facts are limited but significant. Softbank is planning a United States IPO for Roze as early as this year. The valuation target could be up to $100 billion. The company would build data centers and could incorporate ABB Robotics. Masayoshi Son wants the IPO to help offset heavy spending, including the roughly $30 billion investment in OpenAI. And inside Softbank, at least some executives reportedly think the plan may be moving too far, too fast.