SoftBank’s $5.4B Bet on Physical AI

Author

Owen Drury
October 13, 2025

Neom’s Dream Falters. Robotics Roars. Gamified Construction Rises.

In this week’s Bricks, Bucks & Bytes episode:

🏙️ Saudi Arabia halts NEOM - The $500B desert utopia now buried under $40B in delays.

🤖 SoftBank buys ABB’s robotics arm for $5.4B - A signal that Physical AI (the fusion of AI + robotics) is the next frontier.

👷‍♂️ Crewscope raises $1M to gamify productivity - Turning jobsite performance into a points-based system that actually works.

📸 Track3D raises $10M to turn reality capture into real insights - Bridging the gap between drones, cameras, and project truth.


But that’s not all:

  • Patric Hellermann explains how ABB’s sale signals the West’s capitulation to China in industrial robotics.

  • Martin argues NEOM will return (“Burj Khalifa was once halted too”).

  • Owen reveals what makes Crewscope and Track3D two of the smartest new bets in construction tech.


🎧 Listen now for:

  • Why NEOM’s collapse exposes the risks of startup dependence on state mega-projects.

  • How SoftBank’s $5.4B play could rewrite robotics strategy globally.

  • The startup redefining worker incentives through gamification.

  • Why Track3D’s plug-and-play data engine is quietly reshaping construction monitoring.

🗣 Bonus banter:

  • Martin swears by his Garmin sleep tracker.

  • Patric defends walking 16k steps a day as a productivity hack.

  • Owen’s Turkish “holiday” with toddlers? More cardio than rest.

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