SoftBank agrees to acquire Robotics and AI Institute from Hyundai

SoftBank Group Corp. has agreed to acquire the Robotics and AI Institute (RAI) from Hyundai Motor Group, according to multiple sources. The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

The transaction had been rumored for a couple of months and is now being reviewed by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

RAI is based in Cambridge, Mass., while SoftBank is a Japanese technology conglomerate. The two share a history: Marc Raibert founded both Boston Dynamics Inc. and RAI, and SoftBank owned Boston Dynamics from 2017 to 2021.

Hyundai spun out RAI in 2022 as part of its acquisition of Boston Dynamics, seeding the institute with more than $400 million. That initial funding has ended, according to multiple sources.

RAI's research spans robot control, perception, manipulation, navigation, and AI to help robots perform complex physical tasks. It developed the whole-body learning framework behind the acrobatic movements showcased by Boston Dynamics' new Atlas.

CFIUS, led by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, brings together multiple government agencies to screen cross-border deals for their impact on national security. How far along the review is remains unknown.

The RAI Institute declined to comment on the transaction, telling The Robot Report it did not have anything to share on the topic right now and would keep the publication informed when news became available. SoftBank had not responded to a request for comment by press time.

The deal comes as SoftBank moves toward its planned $5.3 billion acquisition of ABB's robotics business, originally expected to close by mid-to-late 2026. ABB brings decades of industrial automation experience, while RAI offers AI expertise; the combination could pair ABB's capabilities and installed base with RAI's research strengths.

Hyundai said in July 2026 that its shareholders were pursuing the acquisition of SoftBank's remaining 9.65% stake in Boston Dynamics after SoftBank exercised a put option. Hyundai said the transaction would strengthen collaboration with Boston Dynamics and support its broader physical AI strategy.

Raibert founded Boston Dynamics in 1992 after pioneering dynamic-legged robotics at Carnegie Mellon University and MIT. He led the Waltham, Mass.-based company as it developed some of the world's most recognizable robots, including BigDog, Atlas, and Spot.

Google acquired Boston Dynamics in 2013, then sold it four years later to SoftBank for a reported $100 million. In 2021, Hyundai Motor Group acquired a controlling stake from SoftBank in a deal that valued Boston Dynamics at $1.1 billion, with SoftBank initially retaining 20%.

Raibert stepped down as Boston Dynamics CEO in January 2020, shortly after his 70th birthday, but launched RAI in 2022. His role if the SoftBank-RAI deal closes is unknown.

Raibert has long emphasized fundamental robotics research, and SoftBank's ownership of Boston Dynamics marked a turning point for the company, which began transitioning decades of cutting-edge research into commercial products, starting with the Spot quadruped.

If the deal closes, SoftBank will once again own a piece of Raibert's robotics legacy, this time alongside an increasingly ambitious portfolio spanning industrial robots, warehouse automation, and AI.