SoftBank Announces Agreement to Acquire Boston Dynamics
2017年6月9日 - 09:02AM
ビジネスワイヤ(英語)
Companies to Collaborate in Advancing the
Development of Smart Robotics Technologies
SoftBank Group Corp. (“SoftBank”) today announced a subsidiary
of SoftBank has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire
robotics pioneer Boston Dynamics from Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL,
GOOG). The transaction aligns with SoftBank’s investments in
paradigm-shifting technologies and its vision of catalyzing the
next wave of smart robotics. The terms of the transaction were not
disclosed.
Masayoshi Son, Chairman & CEO of SoftBank Group Corp., said,
“Today, there are many issues we still cannot solve by ourselves
with human capabilities. Smart robotics are going to be a key
driver of the next stage of the Information Revolution, and Marc
and his team at Boston Dynamics are the clear technology leaders in
advanced dynamic robots. I am thrilled to welcome them to the
SoftBank family and look forward to supporting them as they
continue to advance the field of robotics and explore applications
that can help make life easier, safer and more fulfilling.”
Marc Raibert, CEO and founder of Boston Dynamics, said, “We at
Boston Dynamics are excited to be part of SoftBank’s bold vision
and its position creating the next technology revolution, and we
share SoftBank’s belief that advances in technology should be for
the benefit of humanity. We look forward to working with SoftBank
in our mission to push the boundaries of what advanced robots can
do and to create useful applications in a smarter and more
connected world.”
As part of the transaction with Alphabet, SoftBank has also
agreed to acquire Japanese bipedal robotics company Schaft. Founded
in 2012 in the JSK Robotics Laboratory at the University of Tokyo,
the company has continued its pioneering work under the leadership
of co-founders Yuto Nakanishi, Junichi Urata, Narito Suzuki and
Koichi Nishiwaki.
The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and
regulatory approvals.
About SoftBank
SoftBank is a global technology player that aspires to drive the
Information Revolution. SoftBank is comprised of the holding
company SoftBank Group Corp. (TYO: 9984) and its global portfolio
of companies, which includes advanced telecommunications, internet
services, AI, smart robotics, IoT and clean energy technology
providers. In September 2016, ARM Holdings plc, the world’s leading
semiconductor IP company, joined the SoftBank group. To learn more,
please visit www.SoftBank.jp/en/.
About Boston Dynamics
Boston Dynamics develops advanced robots, such as Next
Generation Atlas, Spot and Handle. Since its founding, Boston
Dynamics has become a leader in the design, development and field
testing of advanced robots that have agility, dexterity, perception
and intelligence. For more information visit
www.BostonDynamics.com.
About Schaft
Schaft is a global leader in the field of humanoid bipedal
robots. The company's founders emerged from the renowned JSK
Robotics Laboratory within the University of Tokyo. Schaft is
driven by its vision of a near future society where bipedal robots
perform critical industrial and service tasks.
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