The Israeli company Mobileye, known for its advanced driver assistance systems and autonomous driving technologies, has taken a significant step by closing a deal to buy humanoid robotics startup Mentee Robotics for around $900 million. This move places the firm, with a strong presence in Europe and collaborations with manufacturers like Volkswagen, at the center of the race for so-called physical artificial intelligence.
The operation, announced during the CES of Las VegasThis reinforces the convergence between the automotive and robotics industries, two fields that share key technologies such as advanced sensors, environmental perception, and automated decision-making. The interest in the bipedal humanoid robots It is growing globally, with particular attention to its potential to work in existing European warehouses, factories and other industrial environments, where it can help offset labor shortages and improve productivity.
How will Mobileye's acquisition of Mentee work?
The agreement states that Mobileye will pay around $612 million in cash and will complete the operation with up to 26,2 million ordinary shares from the company itself, reaching a total value of nearly $900 million. The mixed structure, combining cash and equity, reflects the intention to integrate Mentee into Mobileye's long-term portfolio.
According to information provided by the company, the The transaction has already received the approval of Mobileye's board of directors. and also that of Intel, its main shareholder with approximately 23% of the capital. Customary closing conditions remain, but the acquisition is expected to be completed during [year/year]. first quarter of 2026, a relevant date for the group's strategic calendar.
Once the transaction is complete, Mentee Robotics will continue to operate as an independent unit. within Mobileye, at least in this initial phase. The idea is for it to retain its agility as a startup, but leveraging the infrastructure, financial resources, and powerful AI training capabilities which Mobileye already has. That combination of flexibility and industrial strength is one of the key factors emphasized in the sector.
From a financial point of view, the company itself has indicated that the acquisition Mobileye will moderately increase its operating expenses starting in 2026., in a low, single-digit percentage. In other words, it will represent a significant investment effort, but one that the company considers manageable within its project portfolio and the revenue volume projected for the coming years.
In parallel, Mobileye maintains a Automotive revenue pipeline estimated at approximately $24.500 billion For the next eight years, this will be supported by its advanced driver assistance and autonomy solutions. This automotive business base is what, in theory, will allow the company to finance and sustain its foray into humanoid robotics without compromising the group's stability, both in the United States and in Europe.
From autonomous driving to physical artificial intelligence
The acquisition of Mentee is part of what its co-founder and president, Amnon Shashua, has christened as “Mobileye 3.0”, a new stage that seeks to go beyond driver assistance systems and vehicle autonomy to delve into the humanoid robotics and in AI applied to the physical world. In the executive's words, it is a "new chapter for robotics and automotive AI."
Mobileye has made a name for itself by supplying major automakers with millions of computer vision chips and software for safety functions and ADAS. The leap to bipedal robots involves leveraging those same perception and decision-making capabilities in a much more varied environment, where robots must Understand the context, people's intentions, and act naturally in spaces shared with humans.
In that sense, the company defines the operation as a decisive step towards “physical artificial intelligence”This concept encompasses systems capable of interacting with real-world objects, navigating complex environments, and performing diverse tasks without requiring the redesign of buildings, factories, or warehouses. For Europe, with its already established industrial base, this approach is particularly appealing: instead of redesigning infrastructure from scratch, the goal is for the robot to adapt to the existing human environment.
The acquisition of Mentee is also part of a global trend involving companies such as Tesla, Figure AI, Agility Robotics and several Chinese startups, all competing to develop humanoid robots capable of performing a wide variety of tasksIn the case of Tesla, its CEO Elon Musk has even stated that these robots could become, in the long term, the company's main line of business, which demonstrates the extent to which the market perceives the economic potential of the sector.
For Mobileye, the strategy is not so much about abandoning the car as it is about extending its expertise in autonomy to new areas: Autonomous vehicles and humanoid robots would share the same technological base. de sensors, maps and computer vision and decision-making algorithms, taking advantage of economies of scale and development synergies. In this way, the leap to robotics is presented as a natural evolution rather than a radical shift.
Who is Mentee Robotics and what does it bring to Mobileye?
One of the most striking elements of their proposal is an approach to learning by demonstrationAccording to the company itself, its technology allows a single human demonstration to be transformed into millions of virtual repetitionsreducing the need to collect large volumes of real-world data. This type of massive simulation lowers costs, shortens training times, and makes it easier to test complex scenarios without exposing oneself to physical risks.
Prior to the Mobileye deal, Mentee had already attracted the attention of several key investors. In March, it closed a deal. funding round of approximately $21 million, in which, among others, venture capital funds from Cisco and SamsungThat transaction valued the company at around $162 million, according to PitchBook data, still far from the figures now committed to the purchase.
Mentee's trajectory illustrates the dynamism of deeptech startup ecosystem in Israelwith regular connections to Europe and the United States. The relatively young company has operated in a highly competitive but high-potential segment, focused on robots capable of moving on two legs, manipulating objects, and adapting to different scenarios without requiring facility redesign.
From a technological point of view, the integration into Mobileye will allow Mentee It relies on high-performance computing infrastructuresThis is especially true regarding the training of large-scale AI models. Access to computing resources, which is often a major barrier for startups, could accelerate the development of advanced prototypes and shorten the time to commercial product launches.
Planned schedule: testing in 2026 and production in 2028
Beyond the signing of the agreement, one of the aspects that arouses the most interest in the market is the technology deployment scheduleAccording to both parties, the plan involves initiating the First pilot projects and proof-of-concept tests with clients in 2026These pilot projects will serve to validate the capabilities of humanoid robots in real-world environments, both in terms of performance and safety.
If these initial stages progress as planned, the Mass production and wider commercialization would take place around 2028It has not yet been specified which sectors or regions will be prioritized, but it is assumed that Europe will be one of the key markets due to its industrial fabric, the pressure to improve productivity and the growing shortage of labor in certain segments.
This timeframe aligns with Mobileye's vision of capitalizing on the next wave of growth in the AI integrated into the physical worldThis will be done in parallel with the deployment of more automated vehicles. The goal is to reach 2028 with a catalog of solutions that combine everything from autonomous driving platforms to humanoid robots, all supported by shared data infrastructures and AI training.
However, the companies have acknowledged that this is a complex and costly processThis will require significant investment and intensive engineering work, safety certification, and adaptation to local regulations. In the European case, this will involve complying with EU and national regulations related to robotics, data protection, and workplace safety, among other aspects.
For industrial and logistics companies in Spain and the rest of Europe, these deadlines offer some leeway to evaluate how to fit humanoid robotics into their automation plansSome sectors might choose to initiate early collaborations in a pilot phase, while others might wait for the technology to mature and for the costs of the first commercial models to decrease.
Market reactions and impact on the European ecosystem
Following the announcement, the market reacted with a Mobileye shares increased by nearly 6%.This shows that investors have reacted positively to the bet on humanoid robotics and diversification beyond the automotive sector. While this initial stock market reaction doesn't guarantee long-term success, it does reflect expectations surrounding physical AI as a new engine of growth.
The movement also sends a signal to European technology startup ecosystemespecially those focused on robotics, machine vision, sensors, and control software. The acquisition of Mentee for a price significantly higher than its last private valuation confirms that major international players are willing to pay substantial premiums for differentiated technologies and high-potential equipment.
For venture capital funds and entrepreneurs in Europe, the Mobileye deal serves as a benchmark. How humanoid robotics projects are ceasing to be seen as science fiction to become strategic opportunities. In particular, the importance of combining advances in hardware, AI algorithms, and business models capable of justifying the necessary investment in R&D is emphasized.
In parallel, companies such as Tesla, Figure AI and Agility Robotics They continue to develop their own bipedal robots, and several Chinese startups have joined the race with increasingly sophisticated prototypes. This global competition may accelerate innovation, but it also puts pressure on European companies not to fall behind in a field that could reshape industry and services in the next decade.
In this context, Mobileye's presence in Europe, through agreements with car manufacturers and potential future robotics projects in factories and logistics centers across the continent, could have a pull effect on European suppliers, research centers and technology partnersincluding the Spanish. The arrival of humanoid robot pilots at EU facilities would be a significant step in assessing their real integration into the value chain.
Governance, conflicts of interest, and Intel's role
One of the most sensitive points of the operation is the role of Amnon Shashuawho, in addition to being co-founder and president of Mobileye, He participates as a significant shareholder and chairman of Mentee RoboticsThis dual status could raise concerns about potential conflicts of interest in the negotiation of the purchase agreement.
To address that issue, Mobileye has emphasized that Shashua He abstained from intervening in the deliberation and approval of the transaction by the board of directors.In other words, he formally recused himself, so the remaining board members, along with Intel representatives, evaluated the agreement without his direct involvement. This practice falls within standard corporate governance practices for related-party transactions.
Furthermore, the fact that Intel remains the largest shareholder of MobileyeWith a stake of around 23%, this adds an extra layer of oversight. The US multinational, which previously spun off its computer vision division RealSense to accelerate its exposure to the robotics sector, has approved the deal, suggesting it sees a strategic fit between the investment in physical AI and its future vision.
Strengthening these governance mechanisms is especially relevant in a market as dynamic as humanoid robotics, where the The value of the technologies is difficult to estimate. And the risk of overpaying for early-stage assets is high. Transparency in the process, in theory, helps to build trust among shareholders and other stakeholders, including European industrial partners who want to collaborate with Mobileye.
Taken together, Intel's involvement, Shashua's recusal, and the board's approval are presented as guarantees that the transaction has been evaluated not only from a technological standpoint, but also from a financial and internal control perspectiveThese are aspects that the market scrutinizes closely when acquisitions of this size are announced in emerging sectors.
With all this activity, Mobileye is positioning itself as one of the players aiming to lead the way in the transition from autonomous driving to a more mature and deployable humanoid robotics on a scaleThis is an area where Europe could play a significant role, both as an adoption market and in the development of complementary solutions. The coming years will be crucial in determining whether the announced plans translate into robots working side-by-side with people in factories, warehouses, and other everyday environments, both in Spain and across the continent.
