Current Path：RobotHOT News Global SoftBank weighs Allied Universal acquisition at up to $18 bln equity valuation

SoftBank weighs Allied Universal acquisition at up to $18 bln equity valuation

2026-10-19 Category: Global Comments(0)

SoftBank is considering an acquisition of Allied Universal that would value the security services company’s equity at up to $18 billion, with talks still at an early stage. The potential deal is linked to Masayoshi Son’s robotics investment push. Reuters reported that SoftBank hopes robots will eventually take on some security duties and replace some employees.

SoftBank weighs Allied Universal acquisition at up to $18 bln equity valuation

Allied Universal has about 800,000 employees worldwide and annual revenue of about $23 billion, according to information the company disclosed this year. It operates in more than 100 countries and serves more than 400 Fortune 500 companies across commercial real estate, healthcare, manufacturing, transportation and data centers.

In January, SoftBank led a $1.4 billion Series C funding round for Skild AI, valuing the robot-model company at more than $14 billion. Skild AI develops general-purpose control models designed to work across different robot hardware, including robotic arms, quadruped robots and humanoid robots. Its funding announcement listed warehousing, factory assembly, construction and security among areas involving real-world deployments.

Allied Universal has also partnered with robot makers. In February 2022, it announced a collaboration with U.S. security robot company Knightscope, under which its technical services unit would provide indoor, outdoor and fixed security devices to U.S. customers, along with monitoring interfaces, automatic charging facilities, data storage and maintenance services.

After customers buy the devices, Allied Universal continues to handle inspections, repairs and software updates. Its current robot services include autonomous patrols, thermal imaging, license plate recognition, parking monitoring and two-way calls, with devices able to connect to customers’ existing security systems. In this model, robots patrol, collect information and report anomalies, while the monitoring interface connects to security teams. After an alert is issued, Allied Universal personnel assess the situation and respond on site.

Like(0)
Share To

Related Articles

Comments Get first!

Cancel

Briefs

  • Autonomous first place: HKUST and GENISOM AI win with Gangbeng L2

    A team from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, working with GENISOM AI, won first place in the autonomous group for quadruped-wheeled robots at the 2026 Robot Warrior Challenge Autumn Competition in Beijing, the company said. GENISOM AI said its “GENISOM Gangbeng L2” robot, equipped with a robotic arm, competed in the autonomous operation category. The company said the result followed its “GENISOM Tongchui M1” platform’s six awards in the autonomous navigation category at the spring event, and showed its position in autonomous operation in complex, unstructured environments.

  • China's Guoyu Xingchen raises nearly 100 mln yuan in Series A funding

    Chinese space robotics startup Guoyu Xingchen has raised nearly 100 million yuan ($14 million) in a Series A round jointly invested by Yijing Capital, Fosun Chuangfu and Luyao Capital, the company said. The proceeds will focus on building space robot clusters and expanding commercialization, as the company seeks to accelerate China's in-orbit services from technical validation to scaled commercial delivery.

  • BYD granted design patent for embodied AI robot

    Chinese automaker BYD has been granted a design patent for an “embodied intelligent robot,” according to a patent abstract. The design covers a robot capable of walking, balancing and interacting, with potential applications in service, education and industrial settings.

  • China issues guidelines to speed tech transfer in consumer goods, including brain-computer interfaces and embodied AI

    China’s Commerce Ministry and eight other government departments have issued guidelines on accelerating technology-driven commerce, saying the country will cultivate technology transfer and commercialization institutions in the consumer goods sector. The guidelines, jointly released by the Commerce Ministry, Cyberspace Administration of China, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, People’s Bank of China and State Administration for Market Regulation, call for speeding the market conversion of frontier technologies including brain-computer interfaces and embodied intelligence.

  • China's DareRobot raises nine-figure yuan in Pre-A+ funding round

    Chinese industrial robotics startup DareRobot said it has raised a nine-figure yuan amount in a Pre-A+ funding round, without disclosing the exact figure. Investors included Fosun RuiZheng, Qingshi Asset Management, Zhengxi Capital, Xigao Investment, Bozhong Precision Industry and Suzhou Venture Capital, the company said. DareRobot, founded in 2022, makes intelligent cutting, grinding, welding and coating robots for heavy-industry sectors including defense, steel, marine and shipbuilding, and energy equipment. It targets automation in complex workpieces and high-mix, low-volume production. The proceeds will mainly fund research and development of core embodied-AI technologies for heavy industry, robot product upgrades and market expansion, the company said.

  • Poxiao AI, Tinno Mobile launch full-body multimodal data collection system

    Chinese embodied-AI company Poxiao AI and handset maker Tinno Mobile have jointly released SeePhys Hub, a full-body multimodal data collection system. The system comprises a four-camera head ring, wrist bands, waist and leg motion trackers and tactile gloves, the companies said. It can simultaneously collect first-person visual, two-handed tactile and full-body motion data, filling gaps in conventional ego-data collection, which struggles to capture body movement and contact pressure. A companion data-processing platform converts the collected content into multimodal training data for robot learning, they said.

  • China's Youibot clears CSRC filing for Hong Kong IPO, eyes first mobile-manipulation robot listing

    China's securities regulator on Oct. 16 published a filing notice for Hefei Youibot Robotics Co., Ltd.'s overseas listing and full circulation of domestic unlisted shares, clearing a precondition for a Hong Kong Stock Exchange hearing and putting the company on track to become the first listed mobile-manipulation robot maker. Youibot plans to issue no more than 49,477,800 overseas-listed ordinary shares and list on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, according to the notice. Thirty-seven shareholders plan to convert a combined 243,804,260 domestic unlisted shares into overseas-listed shares, achieving "full circulation."

  • AGIBOT, Ant Afu deploy smart triage robot at Peking University People's Hospital

    The smart triage project jointly developed by AGIBOT and Ant Afu has been deployed at Peking University People's Hospital, with Lingxi X2 serving as a "silicon-based receptionist" in outpatient services. The robot can provide patients and visitors with department guidance, consultation process information, answers to medical insurance policy questions and on-site navigation. By connecting to the hospital's private knowledge base, Lingxi X2 can also deliver standardized medical guidance based on in-hospital information. Over 66 working days, it completed more than 46,000 interactions, averaging about 707 per day.
MORE

Hot Topics

RobotHOT - China & Global Robotics Insights

RobotHOT brings China & Global Robotics Insights. Explore robotics, embodied‑intelligence updates, startup news and industry analysis for professionals worldwide.

About USContact US