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

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

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. 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...

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  • 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.

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  • BYD granted design patent for embodied AI robot

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  • 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.

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  • 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.
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