SoftBank considers buying Allied Universal at $18 billion valuation — Channel NewsAsia

SoftBank Group is considering the acquisition of Allied Universal, a U.S. provider of security services, in a deal that could value the company at about $18 billion. Channel NewsAsia reports, citing Bloomberg News.

Preliminary talks

According to Bloomberg, the discussions are at an early stage, and no final decisions on a potential deal, including its price, have yet been made. SoftBank declined to comment on the report, while Allied Universal did not immediately respond to a Reuters request.

Allied Universal provides security personnel for companies, venues and large events. The company is also expanding its presence in the data center sector, supporting their construction and operation.

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Robots for the security sector

The potential acquisition could align with SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son's increased focus on artificial intelligence. According to Bloomberg, he is exploring the use of AI-powered robots across various industries and seeks to strengthen infrastructure for this technology.

Bloomberg's sources also said that SoftBank could in the future replace some of Allied Universal's security personnel with robots. At the same time, the use of humanoid workers in the security sector would, according to them, require more time.

In October, SoftBank completed the final stage of its planned $30 billion investment in OpenAI, increasing its involvement in the artificial intelligence company.