Hyundai Motor Group Secures 100% Stake in Boston Dynamics… A Bold Move for the Commercialization of Physical AI
Date
Jul 18, 2026
Classification
- Trends/Industries
Hyundai Motor Group is transitioning to a governance structure without external shareholders by exercising a put option on SoftBank's 9.65% stake in Boston Dynamics. The industry estimates the acquisition price to be approximately $325 million (about 487.5 billion won). Hyundai Motor Group plans to deploy the humanoid robot 'Atlas' at its U.S. plant in 2028 and expand its application processes starting in 2030.
Hyundai Motor Group is unifying the decision-making system for its humanoid robot business by acquiring all external investor shares in Boston Dynamics.
Acquisition of SoftBank’s Remaining 9.65% Stake… Exercise of Contractual Put Option
Hyundai Motor Group announced on the 16th that a put option on the 9.65% stake in Boston Dynamics held by SoftBank was exercised earlier this month. This follows an agreement reached at the time of the 2021 acquisition to purchase SoftBank's remaining shares if the company failed to go public within five years; industry estimates place the acquisition price at $325 million (approximately 487.5 billion won). Once the acquisition of SoftBank's stake is finalized, there will be no external shareholders in Boston Dynamics. However, as Chairman Chung Eui-sun holds the shares in his personal capacity, the company will not be incorporated as a 100% wholly owned subsidiary of a specific affiliate.
Atlas to be deployed at US factory in 2028… Mass production competition with Tesla
With the elimination of external shareholders, decision-making regarding the research and development, mass production, and collaboration among group affiliates of physical AI and humanoid robots will be carried out quickly and consistently. Hyundai Motor Group plans to deploy and verify Atlas at its U.S. plant in 2028 and expand its use to complex processes starting in 2030. With Tesla reportedly set to begin mass production of its humanoid robot 'Optimus' by the end of this year, the race for speed in development, mass production, and factory deployment appears to be intensifying amidst the global competition for robot supremacy.
IPO Obstacles Removed… Coupled with Capital Inflow into Domestic Humanoid Ecosystem
With the restructuring of its corporate governance, the obstacles blocking Boston Dynamics' initial public offering (IPO) have also disappeared. Domestically, capital inflows into the humanoid sector are also continuing. On the 13th, Holiday Robotics announced that it had secured 155 billion won in investment, the largest Series A round in the history of domestic startups. As the restructuring of corporate governance by large conglomerates coincided with large-scale funding for startups in the same week, physical AI is emerging as a key topic in both domestic industry and investment.
Hyundai Motor Group’s acquisition of the entire stake is a restructuring of its governance aimed at accelerating execution ahead of the commercialization of humanoid robots. As mass production competition among global big tech and automakers proceeds simultaneously with a surge in investment in domestic startups, physical AI is establishing itself as the most 주목받는 sector in the startup ecosystem in the second half of the year.
#HyundaiMotorGroup #BostonDynamics #Humanoid #PhysicalAI #Atlas
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