Bloomberg Report on SoftBank Funding for Agile Robots Could Not Be Verified
Key Facts
Bloomberg's report on SoftBank Group talks to fund Agile Robots could not be verified. The report described the discussions as being at an early stage, according to TBS CROSS DIG, citing Bloomberg. It said the final funding amount and terms could change, so the figure in the headline should not be treated as a completed deal or a final amount. It added that representatives of Agile Robots and SoftBank Group declined to comment. SoftBank led a previous funding round for the company in September 2021, placing the report in the context of an existing investment relationship between the two parties. The available information did not independently confirm the amount of funding under discussion or its terms.
In the previous round, Agile Robots announced that it had completed a Series C financing totaling $220 million in September 2021, led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2. The company said at the time that the proceeds would be used primarily for product development, production and global sales expansion. This record shows that SoftBank had previously backed the company, but does not confirm the completion of new funding or specify its size. The use of proceeds from the 2021 round applied to that round and does not establish that any funding currently under negotiation would go toward the same purposes. Details of the more recent talks remained subject to change, according to the report as relayed.
Agile Robots describes its business as the manufacture of industrial automation and robotics solutions, and says it has manufacturing sites in more than 15 locations worldwide. The company introduced its humanoid robot, Agile ONE, in November 2025, describing it as capable of independently perceiving and understanding its changing environment and interacting with it. It said the robot is part of an integrated production system alongside its existing automation solutions. This background shows that the company's business spans industrial robots and humanoid robotics, but does not in itself establish that the reported talks concern the development of a particular product. The available report did not specify the intended use of any potential funding.
SoftBank listed Agile Robots SE among the robotics companies in its Robo HD portfolio in its annual report for fiscal 2025. It also disclosed transferring investments, including Agile Robots SE, to Robo HD through an in-kind contribution. In October 2025, the group said it was investing and expanding in four core areas: AI chips, robotics, data centers and energy. It named Agile Robots among its existing robotics investments. This reflects the company's place in SoftBank's portfolio and its stated strategy, but does not constitute an announcement of the terms or timing of the funding under discussion.
In another step in SoftBank's push into robotics, the group announced an agreement in October 2025 to buy ABB's robotics business for $5.375 billion. It said at the time that it expected to complete the deal in mid-to-late 2026, subject to approvals and customary conditions. This is a separate investment track from the reported talks concerning Agile Robots and does not establish that the ABB deal has closed or is directly related to funding for the company. SFTBY shares closed at $12.49 on November 11, 2026, according to EL7 data. No verified figures are available here for the stock's session high or low.
Agile Robots, a European company, should be distinguished from U.S.-based Agility Robotics: their names are similar, but they are separate entities. On November 5, 2026, Agility Robotics said its merger and related financing had provided about $465 million in total funding before transaction expenses. That relates to the U.S. company and does not establish anything about Agile Robots' funding or its talks with SoftBank. The next development tied to SoftBank's stated plan is the expected completion of its purchase of ABB's robotics business in mid-to-late 2026, still subject to approvals and customary conditions. No date has been announced for a resolution of the talks involving Agile Robots.