SoftBank Group is in early talks to acquire Allied Universal, one of the world's largest private-security firms, in a deal potentially valued at up to $18 billion excluding debt, according to people familiar with the discussions. * Deal status: Negotiations remain preliminary, with no guarantee of an agreement. Allied is backed by Warburg Pincus and Canadian pension fund La Caisse. * Allied Universal: The U.S.-based company generates approximately $23 billion in annual revenue across more than 100 countries, providing security personnel and technology. * AI strategy: Allied is expanding AI-powered monitoring, incident tracking and security tools, aligning with SoftBank's push into workplace automation and robotics. * SoftBank expansion: The potential acquisition follows its $5.4 billion agreement for ABB's industrial robotics business and $64 billion investment in OpenAI. 18-OCT-2026 09:30 AM ET