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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallA 2012 report said SoftBank paid about US$100 million for more than 80% of Aldebaran Robotics, but Aldebaran’s communications head later said the Financial Times report contained incorrect information. The specific error was never identified. SoftBank subsequently confirmed a 2012 investment and reported owning 78.5% in 2014, without confirming either the original price or stake.
What was reported about the 2012 deal?
On March 12, 2012, IEEE Spectrum reported a Financial Times account that SoftBank had bought a majority stake in French robotics company Aldebaran Robotics. The FT was reported as saying SoftBank was understood to have paid about US$100 million for more than 80% of the company, with a further US$40–50 million expected to support development. These were reported terms, not confirmed transaction details. IEEE Spectrum’s account attributed them to the Financial Times.
Why are the reported price and stake uncertain?
IEEE Spectrum appended an update dated March 27, 2012, reporting that Aldebaran communications head Bastien Parent had posted that the Financial Times report contained incorrect information. The update said it was unclear which part was wrong. It did not establish whether the disputed details were the price, the percentage stake, the proposed additional investment, or something else.
That correction means the US$100 million figure and the more-than-80% stake should not be treated as settled facts. A later CB Insights entry lists a US$100 million corporate-majority round dated March 12, 2012, but a database listing does not resolve the contemporaneous dispute or provide confirmation from the companies. CB Insights’ entry is best read as another record of the reported figure, not definitive deal documentation.
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What did SoftBank confirm later?
In a June 5, 2014 announcement, SoftBank said it made its first equity investment in Aldebaran in 2012 and that Aldebaran subsequently became a SoftBank Group company. SoftBank reported that it held a 78.5% equity interest at the time of the 2014 announcement. That is a later ownership figure; the release does not say it was the initial 2012 stake or confirm the original price. SoftBank’s 2014 announcement supplies the company’s own account.
| Claim | What the cited source says | Evidence status |
|---|---|---|
| About US$100 million for a majority stake | Financial Times report relayed by IEEE Spectrum in March 2012 | Reported, then disputed by Aldebaran’s communications head; not confirmed as a transaction term |
| More than 80% initially | Financial Times report relayed by IEEE Spectrum in March 2012 | Reported, then disputed; the correction did not specify which detail was incorrect |
| US$40–50 million additional investment | Financial Times report relayed by IEEE Spectrum in March 2012 | Reported, not established as a confirmed commitment |
| 78.5% equity interest | SoftBank’s June 2014 announcement | SoftBank-reported ownership at that later date; not the confirmed initial 2012 stake |
| First equity investment in 2012 | SoftBank’s June 2014 announcement | Confirmed in SoftBank’s account; no original price stated |
What did Aldebaran make?
SoftBank described Aldebaran in 2014 as a company founded in 2005 by Bruno Maisonnier that designed, produced, and sold autonomous humanoid robots. It said more than 5,000 NAO robots were being used in 70 countries as research and educational platforms; those are figures reported by SoftBank in 2014, not current counts.
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The same release introduced Pepper as a personal robot jointly developed by SoftBank Mobile and Aldebaran. It announced a planned Japanese commercial launch from February 2015 at a base price of JPY 198,000. Those details describe the 2014 announcement, not current availability or pricing. SoftBank’s release contains both product descriptions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happened to the Aldebaran name?
On May 19, 2016, SoftBank Robotics Holdings announced that the Aldebaran brand would change to SoftBank Robotics and that Aldebaran Robotics had been renamed SoftBank Robotics Europe. The announcement documents the subsequent branding and corporate name change; it does not add confirmation of the disputed 2012 financial terms. SoftBank Robotics Holdings’ 2016 announcement sets out the change.
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