Could someone explain why this acquisition makes sense? The core competencies between the two companies seem to have little overlap from my outsider perspective. Is this diversification or does Hyundai make more than automobiles?
Hyundai to acquire Boston Dynamics
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Re: Hyundai to acquire Boston Dynamics
#22Could someone explain why this acquisition makes sense? The core competencies between the two companies seem to have little overlap from my outsider perspective. Is this diversification or does Hyundai make more than automobiles?
Hyundai has a robotics subsidiary, which they plan to expand: https://www.hyundai-robotics.com
Re: Hyundai to acquire Boston Dynamics
#23This just demonstrates the "price gap" between virtual and "real world" companies. An app with a few thousand uses with worth more than one of the world's best engineering companies. Even if either has a path to profitability.
Agreed. Robots are very hard, and Boston Dynamics has been around for almost 40 years and still isn't anywhere close to making a lot of money. Apps have added a lot more value to my life than BD ever has. Fwiw I interviewed with BD a few years ago, and am focusing on robotics, so I'd like the opposite to be true
> Apps have added a lot more value to my life than BD ever has.
This thinking will never take humans on Mars! Someone must work on hard, expensive problems.
Human race does won't move forward with a chat but with the hard work of scientist, engineers etc ...
Re: Hyundai to acquire Boston Dynamics
#24Sounds like a quite low valuation...?
Indeed
Re: Hyundai to acquire Boston Dynamics
#25Could someone explain why this acquisition makes sense? The core competencies between the two companies seem to have little overlap from my outsider perspective. Is this diversification or does Hyundai make more than automobiles?
Hyundai is more like a GE than a GM. Nobody would really wonder why a conglomerate like GE bought yet another company. People just don't realize that Hyundai is a conglomerate because they sell cars too.
Re: Hyundai to acquire Boston Dynamics
#26Could someone explain why this acquisition makes sense? The core competencies between the two companies seem to have little overlap from my outsider perspective. Is this diversification or does Hyundai make more than automobiles?
> does Hyundai make more than automobiles?
Much more. "It is the second largest South Korean chaebol or conglomerate, after Samsung Group, related to other Hyundai-name industries following a specialized development split and restructuring which resulted in Hyundai Motor group, Hyundai Heavy Industries Group, Hyundai Development Company Group, Hyundai Department Store Group, and Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance."[0]
They even build ships and oil rigs.
Re: Hyundai to acquire Boston Dynamics
#27This just demonstrates the "price gap" between virtual and "real world" companies. An app with a few thousand uses with worth more than one of the world's best engineering companies. Even if either has a path to profitability.
We spend way more in software (also online services) than in hardware.
Do cars count as hardware? People spend a lot on those.
Re: Hyundai to acquire Boston Dynamics
#28Could someone explain why this acquisition makes sense? The core competencies between the two companies seem to have little overlap from my outsider perspective. Is this diversification or does Hyundai make more than automobiles?
Hyundai is a South Korean chaebol (sort of like a conglomerate). While it was ostensibly restructured into "independent" groups a while back, let's just say that, in practice, they're not really independent in the western sense.
In addition to building cars and trucks, Hyundai does the following:
* building construction (everything from homes to office and factories)
* civil engineering (bridges, dams, shipyards, etc.)
* trains of various kinds
* military vehicles, including tanks
* construction equipment (cranes, etc.)
* manufacturing equipment (furnaces, presses, etc)
* shipbuilding (both civilian and military)
* shipping
* offshore oil rigs
* powerplants and electrical grid equipment
* has a large retail department store chain
* insurance
* chemicals and plastics
* lighting
and, of course...
robots (currently just industrial and medical)
Re: Hyundai to acquire Boston Dynamics
#29This just demonstrates the "price gap" between virtual and "real world" companies. An app with a few thousand uses with worth more than one of the world's best engineering companies. Even if either has a path to profitability.
I agree, and it's probably becoming a problem, but... I don't think this is a good example of that.
I mean, we're talking about the value of a business. Boston Dynamics is more of a research lab. They don't really have much in the way of revenue streams, customers, products, etc.
Re: Hyundai to acquire Boston Dynamics
#30Earlier quoted context omitted.
We spend way more in software (also online services) than in hardware.
Do cars count as hardware? People spend a lot on those.
Well, there seems to be a clear downward trend in car purchasing, if you look at demographics (e.g. the move from suburbs back to cities)
Renting a service + car together via rideshare does have some fundamental economic efficiencies (depending on where you live, and other aspects the situation)