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The move was triggered by SoftBank exercising a put option that was written into the original 2020 deal structure. Major Hyundai affiliates, including Hyundai Motor, Kia, and Hyundai Mobis, were expected to hold extraordinary board meetings on 22nd June to approve the transaction.
As part of the transaction, Hyundai will also sell the Robotics & AI Institute, a research centre co-founded with Boston Dynamics in 2022, back to SoftBank for approximately $100 million. The RAI Institute, led by Boston Dynamics founder Marc Raibert, had received $424 million in investment from Hyundai Motor, Kia, and Hyundai Mobis.
The buyout also clears the path towards a potential Nasdaq listing for Boston Dynamics. Industry sources and analysts have indicated that Hyundai has been reviewing an IPO from multiple angles, with some market observers expecting a listing as early as next year. The put option's expiration deadline had effectively forced Hyundai's hand on the ownership question before it could proceed with any listing preparations.
Hyundai to Fully Acquire Boston Dynamics in $325M SoftBank Buyout
June 22, 2026
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Hyundai Motor Group is buying SoftBank's remaining 9.65% stake in Boston Dynamics for $325 million, giving the South Korean carmaker full ownership of the robotics firm behind the Atlas humanoid. The deal values Boston Dynamics at roughly $3.4 billion and clears the path towards a possible Nasdaq listing.
Hyundai Takes Full Control of Boston Dynamics
Hyundai Motor Group is set to acquire SoftBank Group's remaining 9.65% stake in Boston Dynamics for $325 million, a transaction that would hand the South Korean automaker complete ownership of the robotics company behind the Atlas humanoid robot. The deal was first reported by South Korea's Maeil Business Newspaper and subsequently confirmed by Reuters.The move was triggered by SoftBank exercising a put option that was written into the original 2020 deal structure. Major Hyundai affiliates, including Hyundai Motor, Kia, and Hyundai Mobis, were expected to hold extraordinary board meetings on 22nd June to approve the transaction.
A Soaring Valuation
The $325 million price for a 9.65% stake implies a valuation of roughly $3.4 billion for Boston Dynamics. That is more than triple the $1.1 billion valuation placed on the company when Hyundai first acquired its 80% controlling stake from SoftBank in December 2020. Hyundai paid approximately $880 million for that initial holding, with the deal closing in June 2021.As part of the transaction, Hyundai will also sell the Robotics & AI Institute, a research centre co-founded with Boston Dynamics in 2022, back to SoftBank for approximately $100 million. The RAI Institute, led by Boston Dynamics founder Marc Raibert, had received $424 million in investment from Hyundai Motor, Kia, and Hyundai Mobis.
Atlas and a Possible Nasdaq Listing
Full ownership is expected to give Hyundai greater decision-making agility as it pushes to commercialise Atlas, which was unveiled in its product form at CES 2026 in January. The company has said all Atlas deployments are fully committed for 2026, with units shipping to Hyundai's Robotics Metaplant Application Centre and Google DeepMind. Hyundai plans to build a US production facility capable of manufacturing 30,000 Atlas robots annually by 2028.The buyout also clears the path towards a potential Nasdaq listing for Boston Dynamics. Industry sources and analysts have indicated that Hyundai has been reviewing an IPO from multiple angles, with some market observers expecting a listing as early as next year. The put option's expiration deadline had effectively forced Hyundai's hand on the ownership question before it could proceed with any listing preparations.
Published June 22, 2026 at 6:25pm
