European Commission Merger Decision M.12248 SBG ABB ROBOTICS

EC Competition Cases

Published March 11th, 2026

Detected March 13th, 2026

Summary

The European Commission has approved the proposed concentration of SoftBank Group Corp. acquiring sole control of ABB Robotics Holdco 1 Ltd. The decision was made under Article 6(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation and Article 57 of the EEA Agreement.

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What changed

The European Commission, through DG Competition, has issued a final decision (M.12248) approving the acquisition of sole control of ABB Robotics Holdco 1 Ltd. by SoftBank Group Corp. The notification was received on February 13, 2026, and the Commission has determined that the operation falls within the scope of the Merger Regulation and the EEA Agreement. This decision, adopted under Article 6(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation, signifies non-opposition and declares the concentration compatible with the internal market.

This decision is a standard merger approval under the EU's simplified procedure. For the parties involved, SoftBank and ABB Robotics, this means the transaction can proceed as planned. No specific compliance actions are required from regulated entities beyond the notification and review process already completed. The decision does not impose any conditions or remedies, and there are no penalties associated with this approval.

Source document (simplified)

EUROPEAN COMMISSION DG Competition Case M.12248 - SBG / ABB ROBOTICS Only the English text is available and authentic. REGULATION (EC) No 139/2004 MERGER PROCEDURE Article 6(1)(b) NON-OPPOSITION Date: 11/03/2026 In electronic form on the EUR-Lex website under document number 32026M12248

EUROPEAN COMMISSION Brussels, 11.3.2026 C(2026) 1804 final PUBLIC VERSION Tulip Holdco (DE) LLC 251 Little Falls Drive Wilmington, Delaware 19808 County of New Castle United States Subject: Case M.12248 – SBG / ABB ROBOTICS Commission decision pursuant to Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 () and Article 57 of the Agreement on the European Economic Area () Dear Sir or Madam, (1) On 13 February 2026, the European Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of the Merger Regulation, by which SoftBank Group Corp. (‘SoftBank’, Japan) intends to acquire, within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation, sole control of ABB Robotics Holdco 1 Ltd. (‘ABB Robotics’, Switzerland), controlled by ABB Ltd (Switzerland). The concentration is to be accomplished by way of purchase of shares. () (2) The business activities of the undertakings concerned are the following: – SoftBank is a publicly traded global investment holding company with a large and varied portfolio of technology-focused investments and subsidiaries, – ABB Robotics is focused on the design, development, manufacturing, sale and service of robotic technologies. (3) After examination of the notification, the European Commission has concluded that the notified operation falls within the scope of the Merger Regulation and of () OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘Merger Regulation’). With effect from 1 December 2009, the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (‘TFEU’) has introduced certain changes, such as the replacement of ‘Community’ by ‘Union’ and ‘common market’ by ‘internal market’. The terminology of the TFEU will be used throughout this decision. () OJ L 1, 3.1.1994, p. 3 (the ‘EEA Agreement’). () OJ C, C/2026/1145, 23.2.2026.

paragraph 5(d) of the Commission Notice on a simplified treatment for certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004. () (4) For the reasons set out in the Notice on a simplified treatment, the European Commission has decided not to oppose the notified operation and to declare it compatible with the internal market and with the EEA Agreement. This decision is adopted in application of Article 6(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation and Article 57 of the EEA Agreement. For the Commission (Signed) Linsey MCCALLUM Director-General (acting) Directorate-General for Competition () OJ C 160, 5.5.2023, p. 1 (the ‘Notice on a simplified treatment’).