Walmart Inc.-backed Symbotic said on Monday it would go public through a merger with a SoftBank Group Corp. blank-check firm in a deal offering the robotics and automation startup a pro-forma equity value of $5.5 billion. The deal with SVF Investment Corp. 3 is supported by a private investment in public equity of $205 million from a group of investors, including Walmart. Gross proceeds from the deal, which values Symbotic at a pro-forma enterprise value of $4.8 billion, are expected to be around $725 million. The Wilmington, Massachusetts-based company was founded in 2007. Its AI-powered software uses several hundred mobile robots to improve speed and reduce damage at distribution centers. Supply chain-focused Symbotic offers its services in over 1,400 stores in 16 states and eight Canadian provinces and serves retailers, grocers, and wholesalers, including Walmart, Albertsons, and C&S Wholesale Grocers. The deal comes against the backdrop of global supply chain …