Mobileye has agreed to acquire humanoid robotics startup Mentee Robotics in a transaction valued at $900 million, marking a major strategic expansion beyond automotive autonomy into physical AI and robotics.
The acquisition was announced during CES in Las Vegas and signals what president and co-founder Amnon Shashua describes as the start of “Mobileye 3.0.”
Deal structure and governance
Under the terms of the agreement, Mobileye will acquire Mentee Robotics for approximately $612 million in cash and up to 26.2 million shares of Mobileye common stock. The transaction has been approved by Mobileye’s board and its largest shareholder, Intel, and is expected to close in the first quarter of the year.
Given Shashua’s role as co-founder, chairman, and major shareholder of Mentee Robotics, he formally recused himself from Mobileye’s board discussions and approval process related to the deal. Mobileye noted that the acquisition is expected to increase operating expenses in 2026 by a low single-digit percentage.
Mentee Robotics will continue to operate as an independent unit within the firm following the close of the transaction.
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From automotive autonomy to physical AI
Mobileye built its reputation supplying computer vision chips and software that power advanced driver assistance systems and autonomous driving features for global automakers. With this acquisition, the company is extending that expertise into humanoid robotics, applying perception, decision-making, and contextual understanding beyond vehicles and into human-like machines.
According to the company, the move broadens its scope toward physical artificial intelligence, systems that can interpret context and intent while interacting naturally with people and real-world environments. The company sees strong overlap between the AI capabilities required for autonomous driving and those needed for humanoid robots.
Strategic rationale and financial backdrop
While the commercial roadmap for humanoid robots remains capital intensive and long term, Mobileye is positioning itself to fund that ambition using its strong automotive business. The company reports an automotive revenue pipeline of $24.5 billion over the next eight years, driven by its advanced driver assistance and autonomy platforms, representing more than 40 percent growth compared to early 2023.
Mentee Robotics stands to benefit from access to the large-scale AI training infrastructure and engineering resources, accelerating development that would be difficult for an early-stage robotics company to achieve independently.
Continued momentum in automotive programs
The announcement follows recent momentum in the company’s core automotive business. Just one day earlier, the company revealed that a top ten global automaker committed to purchasing nine million EyeQ6H-based Surround ADAS systems. Volkswagen Group previously announced plans to adopt the same platform, bringing Mobileye’s expected future deliveries of EyeQ6H-based systems to more than 19 million units.
As Mobileye deepens its presence in both autonomous driving and humanoid robotics, the acquisition of Mentee Robotics represents a clear signal that the company intends to play a central role in shaping how AI moves from software into the physical world.
