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Robotics and industrial automation · subsidiary of SoftBank Group Corp. · France

SoftBank Robotics

softbankrobotics.com ↗

Maker of Pepper, Whiz, and Servi service robots, once SoftBank's robotics showcase.

Little protection left
Assessed 24 July 2026 · Evidence as of 24 July 2026
Not much stands between this business and its pressures.
On the recordSince 24 July 2026 · Checkable from H2 2026 · Every call on the record Checkpoint: SoftBank's Roze robotics/AI spinoff targets a US IPO
The call

The Pepper era ended in a French liquidation court, and its own IP now sits with a Chinese robotics buyer while SoftBank's money moves toward ABB, Skild AI, and Roze instead.

SoftBank Robotics makes service robots like Pepper and Whiz, but relies on software from other companies (Brain Corp, Bear Robotics) rather than building its own strength. Cheaper robots from Tesla, Figure AI, and others, combined with AI that can do what Pepper does, have made the old robot less special and harder to sell. The real test is whether SoftBank's planned Roze spinoff (expected late 2026) becomes the valuable robotics company instead, which would signal that the parent company sees more future in new robotics ventures than in this aging unit.

Why
01
AI pressure: Generative AI and cheaper humanoid hardware (Unitree G1, Figure AI, UBTECH). Pepper's scripted chat and emotion tricks are now standard features on $13.5K humanoids, not a reason to buy Pepper. Could AI do the core job? Yes, likely.
02
Bigger players: Maxvision Technology Corp (Shenzhen), now owns Nao/Pepper IP via new Maxtronics unit. A Chinese buyer picked up the liquidated Pepper and Nao designs in 2025 and is building a next-gen NAO7 from them. Could a giant copy it? Yes, easily.
03
What protects it. SoftBank Group's willingness to keep funding a money-losing unit and its remaining Japan rental base for Whiz and Servi.
What would change this call
Maxtronics ships or demos a NAO7 robot using the acquired Aldebaran IP. Shows a Chinese competitor is directly commercializing SoftBank's former core technology.
Pepper+ rental adoption expands beyond the single Tokyu 'relark Izu Kogen' deployment to other Japanese enterprises. Would indicate the relaunched product is gaining real commercial traction, not just a pilot.
SoftBank's Roze spinoff completes its targeted H2 2026 IPO. Would confirm SoftBank's robotics value and investor attention sit outside SoftBank Robotics Corp entirely.
Key numbers
  • Aldebaran (Pepper/Nao maker) liquidated by Paris court (2025-06-02)
  • Only 27,000 Pepper units ever built before 2020 halt (2020)
  • Pepper+ rents for about ¥79,800/month in Japan (2026-02-01)
Named risks
  • Core Pepper/Nao IP no longer owned; sold to Chinese firm Maxvision in July 2025. Severity: high
  • SoftBank Group capital flowing to separate entities (ABB, Skild AI, Roze) rather than this unit. Severity: high
  • Sister company Aldebaran liquidated June 2025 after years of losses and headcount collapse. Severity: high
  • Products depend on third party AI/software (Brain Corp, Bear Robotics), limiting proprietary moat. Severity: medium
  • Pepper Plus relaunch is Japan only rental with limited documented deployment scale. Severity: medium
Rivals, as read in July 2026
RivalDirectionEvidence
UBTECH Roboticslosing toCited as humanoid robotics market share leader at about 14% in 2025
Unitree Roboticslosing toOffers G1 humanoid at about $13,500, undercutting legacy Pepper pricing as of 2026
Figure AIlosing toReported $39 billion valuation in 2026, far outpacing SoftBank Robotics' scale
Maxvision Technology Corp / Maxtronicslosing toBought Aldebaran's Nao and Pepper IP in July 2025 and is building next gen NAO7 hardware
Bear RoboticscontestingSoftBank Robotics' Servi food service robot is co-developed with, not owned by, Bear Robotics
Brain CorpcontestingSoftBank's Whiz cleaning robot runs on licensed BrainOS software rather than in house AI
Questions people ask
Is SoftBank Robotics profitable in 2026?
No confirmed profit data exists. Its former European unit Aldebaran lost over 100 million euros over three years leading to 2021 and was liquidated by the Paris Commercial Court on June 2, 2025. Current revenue is only an unverified aggregator estimate of 135.8 million dollars as of July 2026.
Did SoftBank Robotics lay off workers?
Yes, its former Aldebaran unit in France shrank from 360 employees in 2021 to 90 by May 2025, before being liquidated on June 2, 2025. Pepper hardware production itself was halted in 2020 to 2021, also cutting related jobs.
Can AI replace SoftBank Robotics' Pepper robot?
Largely yes. Pepper's original scripted interaction and emotion reading features are now commoditized by generic LLM agents, which is why SoftBank's own February 2026 Pepper Plus relaunch bolts third party AI onto the decade old Pepper body rather than new proprietary tech.
Who owns SoftBank Robotics?
SoftBank Robotics is privately held as a subsidiary of publicly traded SoftBank Group Corp (Tokyo: 9984), founded in 2012 around the acquisition of French firm Aldebaran Robotics. No independent public valuation exists for the unit itself.
Who is SoftBank Robotics' biggest competitor?
UBTECH Robotics of China is cited as market share leader at roughly 14% of humanoid robotics in 2025, ahead of SoftBank Robotics, while Unitree offers a 13,500 dollar humanoid and Figure AI is valued at 39 billion dollars as of 2026.
What happened to the Pepper robot?
SoftBank halted Pepper manufacturing in 2020 to 2021 after producing only about 27,000 units. Its French maker Aldebaran was liquidated June 2, 2025, and its Nao/Pepper IP was bought by Shenzhen based Maxvision Technology Corp in July 2025.
Timeline
  • 2026-07-24SoftBank in preliminary talks to acquire Gravis Robotics, potentially valuing it above 500 million dollars
  • 2026-07-221.75 billion dollar loan financing for SoftBank's ABB robotics acquisition closes
  • 2026-07-11Pepper Plus deployed at Tokyu's relark Izu Kogen facility for AI tour guide services
  • 2026-05-26SoftBank hires banks for possible US IPO of robotics spinoff Roze, targeting up to 100 billion dollars
  • 2026-02-01SoftBank Robotics Japan launches Pepper Plus as Japan only rental at about 79,800 yen per month
  • 2026-01SoftBank leads 1.4 billion dollar Series C in Skild AI, tripling its valuation to 14 billion dollars
  • 2025-10-08SoftBank Group signs definitive agreement to acquire ABB's robotics business for 5.375 billion dollars
  • 2025-08-28Maxtronics established as new French subsidiary to develop next gen NAO7 hardware
  • 2025-07-19Shenzhen based Maxvision Technology Corp buys core Nao and Pepper IP from Aldebaran liquidation
  • 2025-06-02Aldebaran, former SoftBank Robotics Europe unit, liquidated by Paris Commercial Court
Revision history
24 July 2026
First assessed. Little protection left. The text above is fixed as of this date and is not edited afterwards.
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