Hyundai Motor Group is buying out SoftBank’s remaining 9.65% stake in Boston Dynamics for $325 million, making the iconic robotics company a wholly owned subsidiary.
The deal values Boston Dynamics at over $20 billion. For context, Hyundai picked up an 80% stake in the company back in 2021 for $1.1 billion. That’s roughly an 18x increase in implied valuation in about five years.
From MIT lab to manufacturing floor
Boston Dynamics has had one of the more interesting ownership journeys in tech. Founded as a spinout from MIT in 1992, it became famous for viral videos of robots doing backflips and opening doors. Google acquired it, then SoftBank took over. Now Hyundai owns the whole thing.
The company’s lineup includes Spot, the four-legged robot that has found commercial applications in industrial inspection, and Atlas, the humanoid robot known for advanced bipedal locomotion.
