SoftBank Weighs $18 Billion Acquisition of Security Firm Allied Universal, Bloomberg Reports
The Japanese investment group is considering buying the U.S. security-services company in a deal that could value it at about $18 billion, as founder Masayoshi Son pushes further into AI-powered robots and the infrastructure behind them.
SoftBank Group is considering an acquisition of Allied Universal that could value the U.S. security services company at about $18 billion, Bloomberg News reported Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Allied Universal provides security staffing for businesses, venues and major events, and has built a growing presence in the data center industry, where it supports both the construction and the operation of facilities.
According to the report, the deal would fit with founder Masayoshi Son’s growing focus on artificial intelligence. Son is exploring the use of AI-powered robots across industries and is looking to strengthen the infrastructure needed to support the technology, the report said.
Robots for security work
With Allied in the fold, SoftBank would eventually look to replace some of the company’s staff with robots for security work, one of the people told Bloomberg. Another person said the use of humanoid-like security workers would probably take more time.
Talks are early
The deliberations are preliminary, and no final decisions have been made, including on the price, according to the report. SoftBank declined to comment, and Allied Universal did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
SoftBank is known for large technology bets made through its Vision Fund. It was an early investor in Alibaba, owns a majority stake in the chip designer Arm, and was a major backer of WeWork. In October, the company completed the final phase of its planned $30 billion investment in OpenAI, deepening its ties to the AI company.
Reporting based on coverage by Reuters and Bloomberg News.
