Softbank

SoftBank Group Corp., commonly referred to as SoftBank, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate headquartered in Tokyo. It operates across telecommunications, internet services, artificial intelligence and robotics, and venture investing. The company is led by founder Masayoshi Son and is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

SoftBank was founded in 1981 as a software distribution business by Masayoshi Son. It expanded into media and technology and, in the 2000s, into telecommunications by acquiring Vodafone Japan in 2006 and reorganizing its mobile operations as SoftBank Mobile. The group broadened its investment activity with the SoftBank Vision Fund, launched in 2016 as one of the world’s largest technology-focused investment funds, supported by sovereign wealth and other partners.

Under the Vision Fund, SoftBank has backed a wide range of technology companies globally, contributing to both notable successes and high-profile losses. The group held a substantial stake in Alibaba Group through its early investments and has invested in firms such as Uber and WeWork, among others. The WeWork investment became a focal point in discussions about the volatility and risk profile of large-scale venture capital ventures.

In addition to its investment activities, SoftBank retains major assets in telecommunications and technology. It owns SoftBank Corp, the mobile and broadband operator in Japan, and Arm Ltd., a UK-based processor designer acquired in 2016. A planned sale of Arm to Nvidia announced in 2020 did not close, and Arm remains under SoftBank ownership.

SoftBank has continued to pursue asset management strategies, including selling stakes and reinvesting to balance debt and fund growth, maintaining a prominent and sometimes controversial role in the global technology landscape.