Boston Dynamics, which was acquired by Softbank in 2017, is well known as a developer of Spot robots that have been active for a variety of purposes, such as using it for remote diagnosis of infected people or taking the role of sheepdogs during the Corona 19 period. However, there were reports that Softbank is considering the sale of Boston Dynamics.
According to reports, Softbank is negotiating with a domestic automobile company Hyundai Motor Company on the sale of Boston Dynamics. Softbank says Hyundai is proposing to sell Boston Dynamics for $1 billion, but sources say the two-company negotiations are still in the closed stage. In addition, the conditions for the sale are still undecided, and there is a possibility that the negotiations will be broken.
Reportedly, in response to the related inquiries, Hyundai responded that it is continually seeking opportunities for various investments and partnerships, and Boston Dynamics said its business was to seek deeper commercial relationships, raising the expectations of partners.
Boston Dynamics was founded in 1992 by Professor Mark Labert from MIT. Boston Dynamics was acquired by Google in 2013 according to Andy Rubin’s policy, which was working on Google’s own robotics project. However, after Rubin came out of Google in 2014, Boston Dynamics took its own line from Google and sold to Softbank in 2017.
Boston Dynamics started commercial sale of the four-legged robot spot in September 2019, and also began sales for general use in June 2020. However, it has been pointed out that profitability is low from before, and this is believed to be the main reason Softbank intends to sell. Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor Company, which is considered for sale, is manufacturing industrial robots intended for factory use, so Boston Dynamics technology can be used in the field. Related information can be found here .