United Robotics Group Acquires SoftBank Robotics Europe to Strengthen Position in Global Robotics Market

United Robotics Group (URG), a subsidiary of RAG-Stiftung based in Essen, has entered into an agreement with SoftBank Robotics Group Corp. (SBRG) to acquire their Paris-based subsidiary, SoftBank Robotics Europe SAS (SBRE). As per the agreement, SBRG will hold a minority stake in URG, and the two companies will work together to market various robots globally. With the acquisition of SBRE, URG is set to become one of the top service robotics companies in Europe.

This acquisition is part of United Robotics Group’s strategy to establish a leading position in the global robotics market through both organic growth and investments. The extensive expertise of SBRE’s team in humanoid robotics will ideally complement URG’s broad product range, thus enabling the two firms to speed up research and development, and reinforce their innovative capabilities.

SBRE, based in Paris, is an industry leader in humanoid robotics and is known for developing and producing the world-famous NAO and Pepper robots. Since October 2021, URG has been the primary distributor of NAO and Pepper in the European market, responsible for sales, maintenance, and service of the robots.

Following the acquisition, SBRE will be renamed Aldebaran, and Xavier Lacherade, the General Manager of SBRE, will continue to lead the company. The transaction is subject to merger clearance and is expected to be completed in Q2 2022.