What’s SoftBank Without Robots? This Time Tech Investor is Chasing Berkshire Grey
- Tech investor focuses fire power on warehouse robot maker
- SoftBank’s AI-focused Vision Fund remains mired in losses
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SoftBank Group Corp. offered to buy all shares in robot maker Berkshire Grey Inc. it doesn’t already own in a $218 million deal, in a foray into logistics automation after halting almost all investment activity for months.
The global tech investor sent a non-binding letter of interest earlier this week, offering to buy Berkshire shares for $1.30 a piece, according to a filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. SoftBank currently has a 28.1% stake in the Delaware-based maker of robots used to pack and ship products in e-commerce warehouses. Berkshire had a little more than 233 million common shares outstanding at the time of the filing.