Acquisition · Robotics / AI
SoftBank agrees to buy Hyundai's Robotics and AI Institute, reports say
- Buyer
- SoftBank Group (Tokyo)
- Target
- Robotics and AI Institute (RAI), Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Value
- Status
- Reported agreement; under CFIUS review. Neither company has announced terms.
- Date
- 2026-09-18
SoftBank Group has agreed to acquire the Robotics and AI Institute from Hyundai Motor Group, according to The Robot Report. The Cambridge, Massachusetts, lab was founded in 2022 by Boston Dynamics founder Marc Raibert and started with more than $400 million from Hyundai. The deal is under CFIUS review; terms were not disclosed.
Why it matters
The lab would add physical-AI research to SoftBank's robotics push alongside its ABB Robotics deal. CFIUS review shows that even allied buyers face scrutiny for advanced AI research.
About the lab
Hyundai set up the institute in 2022 alongside its purchase of Boston Dynamics. Its work covers robot control, perception, manipulation, navigation and AI, and it built the whole-body learning method behind the acrobatic moves of Boston Dynamics' new Atlas humanoid. The Robot Report said Hyundai's original funding had run out.
SoftBank and Boston Dynamics
SoftBank owned Boston Dynamics from 2017 until 2021, when it sold control to Hyundai and kept a minority stake. In 2026 it used an option to sell its remaining 9.65% back to Hyundai's side. Marc Raibert founded both Boston Dynamics and the institute; his role after a deal is not known.
Sources
Kakehashi M&A News home
