SoftBank weighs $18 billion Allied Universal deal to put robots on security patrol

SoftBank Group is in early talks to acquire Allied Universal, the largest security services company in the US, in a deal that could value the firm at about $18 billion, Bloomberg News reported on October 16, citing people familiar with the matter.

Including Allied’s roughly $12 billion in debt, the total transaction could approach $30 billion, according to The Rundown. Deliberations are preliminary and no decision has been made on price. SoftBank declined to comment.

Allied employs about 770,000 people in more than 100 countries, providing security staffing for businesses, venues and major events, with a growing presence at data centers.

Son eyes guard posts as a robotics test bed

SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son sees Allied’s operations as a potential proving ground for robotics technology from SoftBank-backed companies and would eventually look to replace some security staff with robots, Bloomberg reported. One person familiar with the matter said humanoid-like security workers would likely take longer to deploy.

The deal would build on SoftBank’s agreement in October 2025 to acquire ABB’s robotics business for $5.375 billion, giving its robotics holdings a large commercial customer base. SoftBank shares closed 1.9% higher in Tokyo on October 16 but were down nearly 15% over five sessions.