Hyundai Motor Group announced on Thursday it will acquire SoftBank Group’s approximately 10% stake in Boston Dynamics, making the U.S. robotics company a wholly owned subsidiary.
The move consolidates Hyundai’s control over the robotics firm, which it already holds a majority interest in, and signals a strategic push to integrate advanced robotics and artificial intelligence into its automotive and mobility ecosystem.
SoftBank’s shares surged more than 16% earlier this week on strong AI sector momentum, before tumbling approximately 14% in Asian trading amid broader tech sell-offs.
The acquisition comes as SoftBank Group continues to streamline its portfolio, having previously seen significant volatility in its share price driven by earnings from its AI investments, including Nvidia.
SoftBank’s shares surged more than 16% earlier this week on strong AI sector momentum, before tumbling approximately 14% in Asian trading amid broader tech sell-offs.
The sale of the Boston Dynamics stake aligns with SoftBank’s ongoing efforts to monetize assets and focus on core AI infrastructure plays.
For Hyundai, full ownership of Boston Dynamics removes a minority shareholder and allows for more direct strategic alignment between the robotics firm’s humanoid and industrial robot development and Hyundai’s vehicle manufacturing and autonomous driving initiatives.