SoftBank Robotics Group

SoftBank Robotics Group Corp. is a Japan-based robotics group whose current corporate website describes the company as a robot integrator. It aims to create value through robotics by applying its accumulated expertise, operational data, and international network. Its stated vision is to use robotics to benefit people, while its mission emphasizes helping businesses and robot developers make effective use of robotics and AI. The group’s business spans more than the sale of a single robot. Its official site describes consultation and deployment for business customers, a proprietary Universal Data Platform intended to optimize robotic solutions, and support services for robot developers and manufacturers. It highlights applications including facility cleaning, where autonomous cleaning robots and the SmartBX facility-management service bring together people, robots, and AI. The site also reports that its robots are used in more than 70 countries and that more than 40,000 SoftBank Robotics robots had been produced as of April 2022, citing Grand View Research for its professional indoor facility mobility robot market claim. The group’s Japanese-language history identifies its predecessor as Amuse Three Co., Ltd., established in 2011 with full investment from SoftBank. The company later became SoftBank Robotics Holdings and adopted the SoftBank Robotics Group name in 2015. The Japanese source describes the company as an intermediate holding company and reports that SoftBank Group holds 60% of its voting rights. Its corporate group has been associated with robotics businesses and technologies including Pepper, and the current website presents an international network of group companies. The official site’s current news listings also reference STEAMA, a steam-cooking robot, and expansion of commercial floor-care deployments. The available evidence does not identify current executives or provide a complete current subsidiary roster.

SoftBank Robotics Group traces its corporate history to Amuse Three Co., Ltd., which the supplied Japanese Wikipedia evidence says was established in 2011 with 100% investment from SoftBank. That evidence records financial results for the early years but does not establish the company’s original business in detail. In 2014, SoftBank announced Pepper, a humanoid robot intended for home use, and established SoftBank Robotics Co., Ltd. The history also records the transfer of the robotics business from SoftBank Mobile to the robotics company in August 2014. Later that month, Amuse Three changed its corporate name to SoftBank Robotics Holdings Co., Ltd. In June 2015, SoftBank Robotics Holdings carried out a third-party allotment of shares. The Japanese source reports that Alibaba Group and Hon Hai Precision Industry each subscribed for shares and obtained 20% of the voting rights. The company changed its name to SoftBank Robotics Group Corp. on November 1, 2015. The source describes the group as an intermediate holding company and says SoftBank Group holds 60% of its voting rights. It also describes SoftBank Robotics as a wholly owned subsidiary responsible for planning, developing, and selling robotics businesses centered on Pepper. The Japanese history lists several robotics-related companies and technologies associated with the wider group, including SoftBank Robotics Europa (formerly Aldebaran Robotics), AGI, Asratec, cocoro SB, its subsidiary Cynet, and Boston Dynamics. It reports that SoftBank Group’s acquisition of Boston Dynamics was completed in 2017, while a planned acquisition of SCHAFT did not proceed. These historical references do not by themselves establish the current ownership or status of every named company. The group’s present corporate website frames its role as that of a robot integrator. It describes services for enterprises introducing robots and for manufacturers and developers creating robotic products and services. Its stated offering includes product consultation and deployment, a proprietary Universal Data Platform, and robot support services. The site highlights facility cleaning, including the Whiz autonomous cleaning robot and SmartBX, a facility-management service designed to coordinate people, robots, and AI. The official website says the group operates internationally, with robots used in more than 70 countries, and reports more than 40,000 robots produced as of April 2022. Its homepage also lists later commercial initiatives involving the STEAMA steam-cooking robot and expanded floor-care deployments.

• Amuse Three established

• Pepper announced

• SoftBank Robotics Co., Ltd. established

• Robotics business transferred from SoftBank Mobile

• Amuse Three renamed SoftBank Robotics Holdings

• Third-party share allotment to Alibaba Group and Hon Hai Precision Industry

• Company renamed SoftBank Robotics Group

• Boston Dynamics acquisition completed; SCHAFT acquisition did not proceed

• More than 40,000 robots produced

A people-first robot integrator that helps enterprises deploy and operate robotics and helps robot developers and manufacturers with data, consultation, and support.

• Pepper

  A humanoid robot announced in 2014 and identified in the Japanese-language history as central to SoftBank Robotics’ robotics business.

• Whiz

  An autonomous cleaning robot highlighted by the official site for facility-cleaning applications.

• SmartBX

  A smart facility-management service described as combining human workers, robots, and AI.

• STEAMA

  A steam-cooking robot referenced in the official homepage’s news listings.

• Third-party share allotmentOther

• SCHAFT acquisition did not proceedOther

• 2021-04-27

  Avalon SteriTech wins SBR Robotics Award[6]Avalon SteriTech荣获SBR机器人奖sbr.com.sg

  Reported: 2021-04-27

  Avalon SteriTech was named the winner of the Robotics Award in the health products and services category at Singapore Business Review’s Technology Excellence Awards for Whiz Gambit, its 2-in-1 commercial cleaning and disinfection robot with SoftBank Robotics Group.

• Unconfirmed

  Pudu Technology and SoftBank Robotics form strategic partnership[7]普渡科技与软银机器人达成战略合作chinaz.com

  Pudu Technology and SoftBank Robotics announced a strategic partnership combining Pudu's delivery and cleaning robot product technology advantages with SoftBank Robotics' expertise in the Japanese market.

• 2020-07-29

  SoftBank Robotics announces planned Korean market entry for Whiz[8]SoftBank Robotics宣布计划将Whiz引入韩国市场koreatimes.co.kr

  Reported: 2020-07-29

  SoftBank Robotics Korea announced its bid to enter the Korean market with Whiz AI-powered robot vacuums. It planned to sell them to business customers, but had not decided when to officially launch the product in Korea.

• 2019-11-19

  SoftBank Robotics introduces Whiz commercial vacuum service in North America[9]SoftBank Robotics 在北美推出 Whiz 商用吸尘服务zdnet.com

  Reported: 2019-11-20

  SoftBank Robotics America and ICE Robotics introduced Whiz, an automated commercial vacuum service, to the North American market at the ISSA trade show in Las Vegas. The service was offered as a subscription priced at $499 per month.

• 2019-11-19

  SoftBank Robotics introduces Whiz in North America[10]软银机器人在北美推出Whizfinance.sina.com.cn

  Reported: 2019-11-20

  SoftBank Robotics America and ICE Robotics introduced the Whiz vacuum-cleaning robot in the North American market at a trade show in Las Vegas.

1. 1SoftBank Robotics Group Corp.softbankrobotics.com
2. 2About us | SoftBank Robotics Group Corp.softbankrobotics.com
3. 3Solution | SoftBank Robotics Group Corp.softbankrobotics.com
4. 4ソフトバンクロボティクスグループja.wikipedia.org
5. 5SoftBank Robotics Groupwikidata.org
6. 6Avalon SteriTech荣获SBR机器人奖sbr.com.sg
7. 7普渡科技与软银机器人达成战略合作chinaz.com
8. 8SoftBank Robotics宣布计划将Whiz引入韩国市场koreatimes.co.kr
9. 9SoftBank Robotics 在北美推出 Whiz 商用吸尘服务zdnet.com
10. 10软银机器人在北美推出Whizfinance.sina.com.cn