The potential acquisition of the Zurich-based company would deepen SoftBank’s push into physical AI, with Gravis’s autonomy software potentially folded into its new venture, Roze.
SoftBank Group is in early-stage discussions to acquire Zurich-based Gravis Robotics AG, a deal previously described as valuing the startup at more than $500 million. The company, which spun out of ETH Zurich in 2022, develops AI autonomy kits that retrofit existing construction equipment such as excavators and loaders, allowing operators to manage multiple machines rather than requiring firms to buy entirely new autonomous fleets. Gravis has raised about $23 million, including a Series A completed in November 2025 led by IQ Capital and Zacua Ventures, and has expanded across the US, UK, EU, Latin America and Asia. The potential acquisition would fit SoftBank’s broader expansion into so-called physical AI and could see Gravis’s technology integrated into a new entity called Roze. It would also complement SoftBank’s October 2025 agreement to acquire ABB’s robotics division for $5.4 billion, adding autonomy software for heavy outdoor machinery to a growing robotics portfolio. The talks remain preliminary and there is no guarantee a deal will close.