September 18, 2026
SoftBank expands its robotics portfolio: CFIUS reviews the purchase of Robotics and AI Institute
On September 18, 2026, SoftBank agreed to buy the Robotics and AI Institute from Hyundai Motor Group. CFIUS is reviewing the deal; the financial terms and closing date were not disclosed.
In 2022, Hyundai Motor Company registered the Boston Dynamics AI Institute and planned to invest $212 million for a 47.5% stake. Initial funding exceeded $400 million, then ended, according to sources.
Now the owner is changing. SoftBank agreed to buy the institute, which researches robot perception, situational understanding, and reasoning, then combines these capabilities with machine movement. In February 2025, RAI and Boston Dynamics launched a shared reinforcement learning pipeline for electric Atlas, while a setup for Spot helped accelerate the robot to 11.5 miles per hour, or 5.2 m/s.
SoftBank planned to close its separate purchase of ABB's robotics business in mid- or late 2026 after regulatory approvals.
