Hyundai Acquires Remaining Boston Dynamics Stake for $325 Million
Hyundai Motor Group will acquire SoftBank Group’s remaining 9.65% stake in Boston Dynamics for $325 million, giving the South Korean automaker complete ownership of the robotics company known for the humanoid robot Atlas. The transaction follows SoftBank’s decision to exercise a put option that was included in the original 2020 agreement. Meanwhile, major Hyundai affiliates, including Hyundai Motor, Kia, and Hyundai Mobis, are expected to approve the deal during extraordinary board meetings scheduled for June 22.
Boston Dynamics Valuation Surges
The $325 million purchase price values Boston Dynamics at roughly $3.4 billion. In contrast, the company carried a valuation of about $1.1 billion when Hyundai acquired an 80% controlling stake from SoftBank in December 2020. Hyundai paid approximately $880 million for that stake, and the acquisition officially closed in June 2021.
At the same time, Hyundai will sell the Robotics & AI Institute (RAI Institute) to SoftBank for around $100 million. Hyundai and Boston Dynamics co-founded the research center in 2022. Moreover, Boston Dynamics founder Marc Raibert leads the institute. Hyundai Motor, Kia, and Hyundai Mobis previously invested $424 million in the organization.
Atlas Expansion and IPO Prospects
Full ownership is expected to streamline Hyundai’s decision-making as it accelerates the commercialization of Atlas. Earlier this year, the company unveiled the production version of the humanoid robot at CES 2026. Furthermore, Hyundai stated that all Atlas deployments for 2026 are already committed. Initial units will ship to Hyundai’s Robotics Metaplant Application Center and Google DeepMind.
Looking ahead, Hyundai plans to establish a U.S. manufacturing facility capable of producing 30,000 Atlas robots annually by 2028. In addition, the acquisition could pave the way for a future Nasdaq listing of Boston Dynamics. Industry analysts have indicated that Hyundai has been evaluating an IPO from several perspectives. Consequently, some market observers believe a listing could occur as early as next year. The expiration of the put option also resolved a key ownership issue, allowing Hyundai to move forward with potential listing preparations.
