SoftBank Gravis Robotics deal talks could value startup above $500M
SoftBank is discussing a Gravis Robotics acquisition at a $500M-plus valuation after exiting Boston Dynamics, Bloomberg reported.
By Marcus Adeyemi · Startups Editor
· 3 min read
SoftBank is in talks to acquire Gravis Robotics in a deal that could value the ETH Zurich spinout at more than $500 million, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The potential SoftBank Gravis Robotics deal would put Masayoshi Son’s group back into robotics M&A shortly after it completed its exit from Boston Dynamics.
The discussions have not produced final terms, according to Bloomberg’s reporting. The transaction could involve a staged structure that includes secondary share purchases and new capital, rather than a single clean acquisition, and no final decision has been made on size or structure.
SoftBank sold its remaining 9.65% stake in Boston Dynamics to Hyundai Motor Group in July 2026 for an estimated $325 million. That sale closed an eight-year chapter tied to one of the best-known robotics brands in SoftBank’s portfolio. Gravis is a different type of asset: autonomous systems for excavators and other heavy equipment, aimed at construction sites and similar industrial settings.
What is Gravis Robotics?
Gravis Robotics is a Zurich-based startup founded in 2022 as an ETH Zurich spinout by Ryan Luke Johns, Dominic Jud, Marco Tranzatto and Burak Çizmeci, working with lab mentor Marco Hutter. The company develops hardware and software intended to let earthmoving machines operate with limited human input.
Its target markets are construction, mining and agriculture. Gravis raised $23 million in venture funding in November 2025 and counts IQ Capital, Armada Investment Group, Zacua Ventures and Holcim among its backers. The company’s disclosed funding history is thin for a reported $500 million-plus valuation, and revenue, customer count and deployment scale were not disclosed in the reports cited.
The price being discussed has already drawn scrutiny. World Construction Today reported that market observers have questioned whether a valuation above $500 million is justified for a company founded in 2022 with one publicly disclosed venture round, although the report did not name an analyst making that case on the record.
Where would Gravis fit inside SoftBank?
SoftBank has been reorganizing its robotics holdings since 2025. The group has folded about 20 robotics investments, including Agility Robots, Berkshire Grey, Skild AI and AutoStore, into a holding company called Robo HD. It has also agreed to buy ABB’s industrial robotics division for $5.4 billion.
Bloomberg has reported that SoftBank plans to place robotics and AI assets under Roze, a new U.S.-based company that it may eventually list. Gravis would reportedly sit inside Roze rather than Robo HD.
That placement would make the acquisition part of a broader industrial robotics and physical AI strategy, rather than a direct continuation of SoftBank’s earlier bets on more public-facing robots such as Boston Dynamics’ machines or Pepper. Gravis is focused on outdoor autonomy in job-site equipment, a harder operating environment than a controlled factory floor and one where labor shortages give automation vendors a clearer commercial argument.
Integration remains an open issue if SoftBank tries to combine ABB’s factory robotics business with Gravis’ outdoor autonomy work under the same robotics push. For now, the deal remains only under discussion, with valuation, timing and final structure unresolved.
This story draws on original reporting from TechFundingNews.
