The transaction formalizes a process disclosed earlier this year, when Hyundai classified its holdings in the institute as assets held for sale and identified SoftBank as the buyer. The acquisition is now undergoing review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS. Financial terms of the finalized transaction have not been publicly disclosed.
RAI was established in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 2022 under the leadership of Marc Raibert. Hyundai Motor Group and Boston Dynamics committed more than $400 million to establish the organization, which conducts longer-horizon research across cognitive AI, athletic intelligence, robot learning and hardware design.
The institute has also worked directly with Boston Dynamics. In 2025, the two organizations began a research partnership focused on applying reinforcement learning to the electric Atlas humanoid.
Hyundai disclosed in August that it planned to sell its entire 47.5% stake in RAI to SoftBank as it concentrates its robotics development and commercialization around Boston Dynamics. Earlier reporting put the proposed RAI transaction at approximately $100 million, but neither company has confirmed that figure as the final purchase price.
SoftBank is simultaneously building a broader robotics portfolio. It agreed in 2025 to acquire ABB’s robotics business for $5.375 billion, and its robotics investments include Skild AI and Agile Robots.
