Hyundai Motor Group is on the verge of taking full ownership of Boston Dynamics, the US robotics company known for its advanced humanoid and industrial robots. According to a report from South Korea's Maeil Business Newspaper, Hyundai plans to purchase SoftBank Group's remaining 9.65% stake for $325 million. The automaker's board is expected to approve the transaction on June 22, according to unnamed industry sources.
If completed, the deal would make Boston Dynamics a wholly owned subsidiary of Hyundai, capping a five-year consolidation that began when the Korean automaker first took control of the robot maker in 2021. The move underscores Hyundai's long-term bet on robotics as a core industrial technology platform.
How the Stake Sale Came Together
The reported transaction stems from a put option embedded in Hyundai's original deal with SoftBank. Under that arrangement, SoftBank retained a minority stake after selling control of Boston Dynamics but had the right to sell its remaining shares back to Hyundai if certain conditions were met. Maeil reported that SoftBank has now notified Hyundai of its intent to exercise that right. Neither Hyundai Motor nor SoftBank has officially commented on the report.
Hyundai Motor Group, including Executive Chair Euisun Chung and affiliates Hyundai Motor, Kia, Hyundai Mobis, and Hyundai Glovis, already owns just over 90% of Boston Dynamics. Buying SoftBank's remaining stake would close the gap and remove an outside shareholder from one of Hyundai's most closely watched future businesses.
A Five-Year Path to Full Ownership
Boston Dynamics has changed hands multiple times over the past decade. Google acquired the company in 2013, then sold it to SoftBank in 2017. Hyundai agreed in late 2020 to buy an 80% stake in a deal valuing the company at $1.1 billion, which closed in June 2021. Since then, Hyundai has steadily deepened its exposure, with group affiliates participating in additional funding rounds, while SoftBank's holding was diluted from 20% to less than 10%.
This path shows how Hyundai is treating Boston Dynamics less as a conventional turnaround and more as a long-term industrial technology bet. The robotics firm has generated interest for products such as Spot, Stretch, and Atlas, but it has also carried heavy development costs and losses. According to Aju Press, Boston Dynamics generated cumulative revenue of 390.7 billion won from 2022 through the third quarter of 2025, while accumulating losses of 1.38 trillion won over the same period. Hyundai has continued to inject capital, betting that humanoid and industrial robots will eventually become a major manufacturing and logistics platform.
The deal comes amid broader market movements. For context, SoftBank stock has rallied recently on its AI and tech investments, while Microsoft's AI data center expansion highlights the growing demand for automation and robotics in industrial applications.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
