Hyundai Motor Group is set to become the sole owner of Boston Dynamics, the U.S.-based robotics company known for its agile humanoid and quadruped robots, after Japanese technology investment giant SoftBank exercised its put option on a roughly 10 percent stake. The South Korean automotive group confirmed on Thursday that it will acquire SoftBank's 9.65 percent holding, though the two sides have not publicly disclosed the purchase price. Local South Korean media have reported the transaction is likely valued at around 500 billion won (approximately $335 million).
Hyundai first acquired an 80 percent stake in Boston Dynamics from SoftBank in 2021 for approximately 1 trillion won ($674 million at the time), later increasing its ownership to 90.35 percent. The latest move brings that figure to 100 percent, making the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based robotics firm a wholly owned subsidiary. Boston Dynamics is best known for developing highly mobile robots such as Spot, a dog-like machine widely used in industrial inspections, and Atlas, a humanoid robot capable of complex physical tasks.
The acquisition is framed as a strategic step in building what Hyundai calls an end-to-end AI robotics value chain — combining Boston Dynamics' expertise in artificial intelligence-driven robotics with Hyundai's manufacturing scale, mobility technologies and global supply networks. The group said full ownership is expected to deepen collaboration on physical AI technologies and accelerate their commercialisation.
A key near-term milestone is the planned deployment of Atlas humanoid robots at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA), the group's car manufacturing facility in Georgia. Starting in 2028, Atlas robots are expected to take on parts sequencing tasks on the production line, with their role expanding to component assembly by 2030. The move would make Hyundai one of the first major automakers to integrate humanoid robots into large-scale vehicle manufacturing.
The deal underscores the intensifying race among global industrial conglomerates to commercialise humanoid and AI-powered robots for real-world manufacturing environments. For Hyundai, full ownership removes a structural barrier to tighter integration, giving the group direct control over Boston Dynamics' research direction and technology roadmap as competition in the sector grows rapidly.