# SoftBank agrees to acquire Hyundai's Robotics and AI Institute

Digest AI · Business & Funding · published 2026-09-18T17:14:32Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/softbank-agrees-to-acquire-hyundai-s-robotics-and-ai-institute

## Summary

SoftBank Group Corp. has agreed to acquire the Robotics and AI Institute (RAI) from Hyundai Motor Group. Financial terms were not disclosed and the transaction is currently being reviewed by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), with no timeline provided for approval. RAI, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was founded in 2022 after Hyundai spun it out with an initial investment of more than $400 million, which has now ended.

RAI’s research spans robot control, perception, manipulation, navigation, and AI, including the whole‑body learning framework that powers the acrobatic movements of Boston Dynamics’ Atlas robot. SoftBank previously owned Boston Dynamics from 2017 to 2021; both Boston Dynamics and RAI were founded by Marc Raibert. The acquisition follows SoftBank’s planned $5.3 billion purchase of ABB’s robotics business, expected to close in mid‑to‑late 2026, potentially pairing ABB’s industrial automation expertise with RAI’s AI capabilities.

Hyundai earlier indicated it was pursuing the acquisition of SoftBank’s remaining 9.65 % stake in Boston Dynamics. Both SoftBank and RAI declined to comment on the deal. If completed, SoftBank would once again control a piece of Raibert’s robotics legacy, expanding its portfolio across industrial robots, warehouse automation, and AI research.

## Key points

- SoftBank agreed to acquire Hyundai Motor Group's Robotics and AI Institute; financial terms not disclosed.
- The transaction is under CFIUS review, with no public timeline for approval.
- Deal follows SoftBank's planned $5.3 billion acquisition of ABB’s robotics business.

## Why it matters

Bringing RAI’s AI research under SoftBank could accelerate integration of advanced robot learning with ABB’s industrial hardware, reshaping the competitive landscape for commercial robotics.

## Sources

1. [SoftBank agrees to acquire Robotics and AI Institute](https://therobotreport.com/softbank-agrees-to-acquire-robotics-and-ai-institute) (The Robot Report, 2026-09-18)

## Cite

Digest AI, "SoftBank agrees to acquire Hyundai's Robotics and AI Institute", 18 September 2026, https://digestai.news/story/softbank-agrees-to-acquire-hyundai-s-robotics-and-ai-institute

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