SoftBank Group Corp. is preparing to establish an artificial intelligence and robotics company called Roze and to seek a listing in the United States, according to people familiar with the matter. The proposed business would involve building data centres and could be taken public as early as this year.
Executives at the Japanese technology conglomerate are aiming for a valuation for Roze of as much as $100 billion. The plan forms part of a broader push by founder Masayoshi Son into AI initiatives, a strategy that has included large spending commitments to OpenAI.
The group has not yet decided how large a stake in Roze it will offer to outside investors. Historically, SoftBank has retained controlling stakes in companies it has taken public in the past, and the group still owns nearly 90% of British chip designer Arm Holdings.
SoftBank's consideration of an overseas listing comes with uncertainties. The company faces potential geopolitical and market pressures, including heightened economic turmoil tied to the U.S.-Iran conflict. At the same time, U.S. public markets are expected to host some of the largest initial public offerings this year, among them SpaceX, Anthropic, and OpenAI, increasing competition for investor demand.
For SoftBank, launching Roze as a separate listed entity would be another step in repositioning capital toward AI-focused assets and infrastructure. The firm's plans to include data centre development within Roze signal an emphasis on the physical backbone required to support advanced AI and robotics operations, although final details of the structure and timing remain undecided.
Observers will be watching both the size of any share sale and how SoftBank intends to manage ownership post-listing, given its past preference for retaining majority control of key subsidiaries. The timing of a potential float, market appetite amid several major IPOs, and geopolitical tensions are among the immediate variables that could shape the outcome of the proposed Roze listing.