What actually happened
Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), the world's largest memory-chip maker, has been tied to a possible equity stake in Boston Dynamics, the US robotics company behind the Atlas, Spot and Stretch robots. On June 16, Maeil Business Newspaper (MK, a major Seoul business daily) reported that Samsung was internally reviewing such a purchase as part of a push into "physical AI." The same day, Korea Investment & Securities (KIS, one of Korea's largest brokerages) published a scenario sketching how Samsung could become a shareholder.
The single most important fact for anyone reading the headline: this is not a signed or even confirmed transaction. Samsung Electronics denied the reports linking it to a stake purchase, calling the matter "groundless," per Seoul Economic Daily. What exists today is one exclusive press report of an internal review and one sell-side analyst's hypothetical roadmap — not a binding agreement.
The scenario on the table
KIS analyst Kim Chang-ho laid out a three-step path, as reported by Seoul Economic Daily and KED Global:
- Samsung Electronics acquires SoftBank's (the Japanese tech-investment group) 9.9% stake in Boston Dynamics;
- Google participates in a pre-IPO funding round;
- Boston Dynamics lists publicly, with an IPO targeted around 2028.
KIS put Boston Dynamics' potential corporate value at up to ₩167 trillion (USD 122 billion), raised from a prior ₩123 trillion (USD 90 billion) assessment (Seoul Economic Daily). At the higher figure, SoftBank's 9.9% slice would imply a stake worth roughly ₩16.5 trillion (USD 12 billion) on that math — a sizable check even for Samsung. "If SoftBank's stake is sold to a third party, a market price for Boston Dynamics could form for the first time," Kim said (Seoul Economic Daily), underscoring that the company has no public valuation to anchor against today.
Why SoftBank's slice is the lever
Boston Dynamics is controlled by Hyundai Motor Group, Korea's largest automaker. Per Seoul Economic Daily, HMG Global (a Hyundai Motor Group holding vehicle) holds 56.3%, Executive Chairman Euisun Chung holds 22.5%, logistics affiliate Hyundai Glovis holds 11.25%, and SoftBank holds 9.9%. SoftBank's minority position is the only stake an outside buyer could plausibly take without disturbing Hyundai's control — which is why the KIS scenario routes through it. KIS also floated an alternative in which Samsung buys Chairman Chung's 22.5% holding as a governance "win-win," a far larger and more complex step.
The precedent that makes this plausible
There is a clean template here. Hyundai Motor Group completed its acquisition of Boston Dynamics from SoftBank on June 21, 2021, taking an 80% stake in a deal that valued the firm at USD 1.1 billion, with SoftBank retaining 20% (Boston Dynamics). SoftBank trimming its position again — this time to a new Korean buyer — would rhyme with that exit. But the valuation gap is the story: KIS's ₩167 trillion (USD 122 billion) figure is more than 100 times the 2021 deal value, a reflection of how richly the market is now pricing humanoid robotics and "physical AI" rather than any confirmed transaction price.
The open question
The thesis stands or falls on confirmation, not modeling. With Samsung publicly calling the reports groundless, the next concrete checkpoint is whether SoftBank signals any intent to sell its 9.9% stake, or whether Samsung or Hyundai issues a formal disclosure. Absent that — or a Boston Dynamics IPO filing ahead of the analyst's 2028 target — the ₩167 trillion valuation remains a sell-side estimate, useful for framing the size of the prize but not evidence that a deal is underway.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Figures attributed to Korea Investment & Securities are analyst estimates of a hypothetical scenario, not confirmed transaction terms. USD conversions use an approximate rate of 1 USD = 1,370 KRW.
Sources
- https://www.mk.co.kr/news/business/12075246
- https://en.sedaily.com/finance/2026/06/16/could-samsung-become-a-boston-dynamics-shareholder-kis-lays
- https://www.kedglobal.com/robotics/newsView/ked202606160008
- https://bostondynamics.com/news/hyundai-motor-group-completes-acquisition-of-boston-dynamics-from-softbank/
