The deal gives Hyundai full ownership of the robotics company and greater control over its Atlas humanoid robot program
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Hyundai Motor Group announced on Thursday that it will acquire SoftBank Group's remaining approximately 10% stake in Boston Dynamics, making the robotics company a wholly owned subsidiary. The transaction is valued at roughly $325 million, according to Bloomberg.
The transaction follows SoftBank's decision to trigger a put option embedded in the 2021 acquisition agreement, which gave SoftBank the right to sell its stake if Boston Dynamics remained privately held through this year. Hyundai secured a matching call option in 2025. The predetermined purchase price puts Boston Dynamics' worth at approximately $3.3 billion, consistent with what Hyundai paid when it took an 80% controlling interest from SoftBank in 2021.
Hyundai said taking full ownership positions it to construct an integrated AI robotics ecosystem that draws on Boston Dynamics' physical AI expertise alongside the group's factory operations, mobility platforms, and worldwide supply network. "Through this integrated approach, the group aims to accelerate the development, validation and commercialization of Physical AI technologies and robotics solutions," Hyundai said in a statement.
The centerpiece of the push is Boston Dynamics' Atlas humanoid robot. Hyundai is targeting 2028 for Atlas's first factory deployment in Georgia, aiming to scale manufacturing capacity to as many as 30,000 units per year. Atlas will initially take on jobs such as welding and materials handling, with the scope broadening to include component assembly operations by 2030, the company said. Hyundai has partnerships with Nvidia $NVDA Corp. and Google $GOOGL DeepMind to develop Atlas, according to Bloomberg.
Hyundai Motor stock closed down 2.1% on Thursday. Analysts noted that investors had been looking to the buyout of SoftBank's residual holding to shed light on what Boston Dynamics is worth and perhaps lift Hyundai's share price. Kiwoom Securities analyst Shin Yoonchul calculated that the deal terms put Boston Dynamics' worth at roughly 5 trillion won, adding that the stock's subdued response reflected investor skepticism about whether that figure holds up.
Hyundai's acquisition comes as its South Korean labor union has intensified industrial action over annual wage negotiations. The union staged two-hour partial strikes from Monday through Wednesday and announced plans for four-hour strikes from July 20 to July 22, the company said. Workers are pushing for a bonus pool equal to 30% of net profit and want written assurances that their jobs will be protected as Hyundai brings more robots onto its production lines.
Earlier this year, Hyundai showcased Atlas performing soccer skills as part of a campaign tied to its FIFA World Cup 2026 sponsorship, with the robot also appearing at tournament venues. Hyundai said it plans to train Atlas at its Robot Metaplant Application Center in Savannah, Georgia, before deploying it in industrial environments.
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