Mobileye to acquire humanoid robotics startup Mentee for $900 million

Mobileye announced at CES that it will acquire humanoid robotics startup Mentee Robotics for about $900 million; the transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026, subject to customary conditions. The deal pairs Mobileye's self-driving software, sensing and safety systems with Mentee's approach to training humanoid robots and aims for proof-of-concept deployments in 2026 and series production by 2028.

Mobileye announced on Jan. 6 at CES in Las Vegas that it will acquire humanoid robotics startup Mentee Robotics for about $900 million. Mobileye is an Israeli company known for self-driving technology and sees humanoid robotics as a next frontier for artificial intelligence. The acquisition highlights overlaps in sensing, perception and decision-making technologies used in autonomous driving and embodied AI. Interest in humanoid robots has grown because human-like forms can adapt to warehouses, factories and other complex settings. Key details: - Mobileye said the transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions. - The deal is intended to bring together Mobileye's software, sensing and safety systems for self-driving vehicles with Mentee's development of general-purpose humanoid robots. - Mentee says it trains robots by transforming a single human demonstration into millions of virtual repetitions and expects first proof-of-concept deployments in 2026, with series production and commercialization targeted for 2028. - Amnon Shashua serves as Mobileye's CEO, cofounded Mentee Robotics and is listed as Mentee's co-CEO. - The article mentions Tesla, Figure AI, Agility Robotics and several Chinese startups as other companies racing to develop two-legged robots; Intel remains Mobileye's largest shareholder with about a 23% stake. - Mentee raised about $21 million in a funding round in March, valuing the startup at roughly $162 million, and counts Cisco and Samsung's venture arms among its investors. Summary: The planned acquisition brings together expertise from autonomous driving and humanoid robotics and reflects growing industry interest in embodied AI. The companies plan proof-of-concept deployments in 2026 and aim for series production and commercialization in 2028, while completion of the deal is expected in early 2026 pending customary closing steps.