SoftBank targets $100B U.S. IPO for new AI and robotics startup Roze

SoftBank is preparing its next big swing in artificial intelligence—and this one could reshape how the physical backbone of AI gets built. 

The Japanese conglomerate is working on plans to spin out a new U.S.-listed company called “Roze,” a standalone business focused on data centers and robotics, according to a report from the Financial Times. The goal is ambitious: a valuation near $100 billion and a public debut as early as this year.

At the center of the effort is Masayoshi Son, who has spent the past few years doubling down on AI as the defining investment theme of his career. Roze reflects that shift. Instead of backing software alone, SoftBank is leaning into the infrastructure layer—land, power, machines, and the systems needed to bring massive AI facilities online faster.

The company’s focus is unusually specific. Roze is expected to build data centers and deploy robotics to accelerate construction and improve efficiency in large-scale AI projects. That approach mirrors a growing reality across the industry: demand for compute is rising so quickly that the bottleneck is no longer just chips, but the physical capacity to house them.

SoftBank is expected to fold in a mix of existing assets to support the new venture, including energy resources, landholdings, and infrastructure projects already in its portfolio. A key piece of the plan is ABB Robotics, a global leader in automation systems that SoftBank agreed to acquire last year. The integration of robotics hardware with AI-driven systems points to a broader vision in which machines help build the very infrastructure on which AI depends.

Why SoftBank is betting on the physical backbone of AI, not just the models

The timing is not accidental. SoftBank has been racing to position itself at the center of the U.S. AI buildout. Last year, the firm partnered with OpenAI, Oracle, and others on the Stargate initiative, a plan to invest up to $500 billion in data center capacity across the United States. At the same time, SoftBank has been pushing forward with its own projects, including a large development in Ohio.

Roze could serve another purpose beyond expansion. SoftBank has committed tens of billions of dollars to AI investments, including more than $30 billion tied to OpenAI. Investors have been watching closely, raising questions about how those bets will be funded as the company continues to scale its ambitions. A public listing would give SoftBank a way to bring in outside capital and reduce some of that pressure.

Inside SoftBank, the plan is seen as bold, even by the firm’s standards. The timeline and valuation remain fluid, and external factors—from geopolitical tensions to shifts in capital markets—could affect how quickly the company moves. Still, the direction is clear. Son is no longer just backing AI companies. He is trying to own the infrastructure they depend on.

That shift is already showing up in SoftBank’s financials. The company reported a $2.4 billion gain in its Vision Fund for the December quarter, with returns from its OpenAI stake helping offset losses elsewhere. Shares were down slightly in Thursday trading, though the stock has climbed more than 18% this year, CNBC reported.

If Roze makes it to market, it would mark one of the largest AI-related IPOs to date—and a signal that the next phase of the AI race is being fought far beyond software.

SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son