History of SoftBank Group in Timeline
SoftBank Group is a Japanese multinational investment holding company concentrating on technology investments. It operates in diverse markets, from the internet to automation, and manages the Vision Fund, the world's largest technology-focused venture capital fund with over $100 billion in capital. Investors in the fund include sovereign wealth funds from the Middle East.
September 1981: SoftBank Corp. founded
In September 1981, Masayoshi Son, then 24 years old, founded SOFTBANK Corp. as a software distributor.
May 1982: SoftBank enters the publishing business
In May 1982, SoftBank entered the publishing business with the launch of Oh! PC and Oh! MZ magazines, focused on NEC and Sharp computers respectively.
1984: Japan Telecom Formation
In 1984, SoftBank's mobile communications arm started with the formation of Japan Telecom.
1989: Oh! PC magazine circulation
By 1989, Oh! PC magazine, published by SoftBank, reached a circulation of 140,000 copies.
1994: SoftBank goes public
In 1994, SoftBank went public with a valuation of $3 billion.
1994: Digital Phone Group Formation
In 1994, the Digital Phone Group (DPG), a mobile phone division comprising three local companies, was formed.
April 1995: SoftBank buys COMDEX
On April 1, 1995, SoftBank bought COMDEX from The Interface Group for $800 million.
September 1995: SoftBank agrees to purchase Ziff Davis publishing
In September 1995, SoftBank agreed to purchase US-based Ziff Davis publishing for $2.1 billion.
February 1996: SoftBank buys ZDI
On February 29, 1996, SoftBank bought ZDI.
1996: SoftBank Buys 80% of Kingston Technology
In 1996, SoftBank acquired 80% of the memory manufacturer Kingston Technology.
October 1999: SoftBank becomes a holding company
In October 1999, SoftBank transitioned into a holding company.
1999: J-PHONE Co., Ltd. Formation
In 1999, J-PHONE Co., Ltd. was formed through the merger of DGP/Digital TU-KA Group (DTG) with Japan Telecom holding a 45.1% stake.
1999: SBI Group Founded
In 1999, SBI Group, a Japanese financial services company, was established as a branch of SoftBank.
1999: SoftBank Sells Kingston Technology Back to Original Owners
In 1999, after the market for memory softened substantially, SoftBank sold Kingston Technology back to the original owners for about a third of the original price, resulting in a loss.
February 2000: SoftBank Ventures Asia Founded
In February 2000, SoftBank Ventures Asia was founded under the leadership of Masayoshi Son to focus on investment in Korean-based Internet companies.
2000: SoftBank Ventures Korea Founded
In 2000, SoftBank Ventures Korea, now SoftBank Ventures Asia (SBVA), was founded and initially focused on the South Korean market and its early-stage ventures.
2000: SoftBank invests in Alibaba
In 2000, SoftBank made a $20 million investment in Alibaba, a Chinese Internet venture.
2000: Forbes Global 2000 Rank
In 2000, SoftBank was ranked on the Forbes Global 2000 list of largest public companies in the world.
October 2001: Vodafone Increased Share
In October 2001, Vodafone increased its ownership stake in Japan Telecom to 66.7% and in J-Phone to 69.7%.
2001: SoftBank sells COMDEX to Key3Media
In 2001, SoftBank sold COMDEX to Key3Media, a spin-off of Ziff Davis.
October 2003: Name Change to Vodafone
On October 1, 2003, Japan Telecom and J-Phone changed their name and service brand to Vodafone, with the division being referred to as Vodafone K.K. or Vodafone Japan.
January 2005: SoftBank becomes owner of Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
In January 2005, SoftBank became the owner of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, a Nippon Professional Baseball team.
January 2005: Vodafone Japan Customer Losses
In January 2005, Vodafone Japan experienced a loss of 58,700 customers amidst increasing competition.
February 2005: Vodafone Live! Subscriber Count
At the end of February 2005, Vodafone live! multimedia data service had 12.907 million subscribers in Japan.
February 2005: Further Customer Losses for Vodafone Japan
In February 2005, Vodafone Japan continued to lose customers, with a loss of 53,200 subscribers. During the same time frame, NTT DoCoMo and AU by KDDI gained subscribers.
October 2005: Subscribers Fall Below 15 Million
By the end of October 2005, Vodafone Japan's subscriber count had fallen below 15 million. Meanwhile, competitors NTT DoCoMo and KDDI/AU continued to gain customers.
October 2005: Subscriber Decline for Vodafone Live!
By the end of October 2005, the number of Vodafone live! subscribers in Japan had decreased by 138,000.
2005: SoftBank Acquired Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
In 2005, SoftBank acquired the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, a Japanese professional baseball team based in Fukuoka.
March 2006: SoftBank to buy Vodafone Japan
In March 2006, SoftBank announced its agreement to buy Vodafone Japan.
March 2006: Vodafone Discusses Sale to SoftBank
In March 2006, Vodafone began discussions regarding the potential sale of its Vodafone Japan unit to SoftBank due to an inability to satisfy customers.
March 2006: Vodafone Agrees to Sell Vodafone Japan to SoftBank
On March 17, 2006, Vodafone Group announced an agreement to sell Vodafone Japan to SoftBank for approximately US$15.1 billion.
April 2006: SoftBank purchases stake in Betfair
In April 2006, SoftBank purchased a 23% stake in Betfair, an Internet betting exchange.
May 2006: Unit Renamed SoftBank Mobile Corp.
On May 18, 2006, SoftBank renamed the Vodafone Japan unit "SoftBank Mobile Corp.", with the change becoming effective October 1, 2006.
May 2006: Otosan Advertising Campaign Launch
Since May 2006, SoftBank's telecommunications marketing and commercials have prominently featured "Otosan", the canine patriarch of the "Shirato" family.
August 2006: SoftBank sells shares of SBI Group
In August 2006, SoftBank sold all its shares of SBI Group to a subsidiary of SBI's holding company, making SBI independent.
October 2006: Vodafone Japan changes name to SoftBank Mobile
On October 1, 2006, Vodafone Japan changed its corporate name and service brand name to "SoftBank Mobile" and "SoftBank" respectively.
October 2006: SoftBank Mobile Corp. Effective Date
The renaming of Vodafone Japan to "SoftBank Mobile Corp." was effective on October 1, 2006.
2007: "Otosan" Adverts Ranked Most Popular
In 2007, the CM Research Center ranked the "Otousan" adverts as the most popular in Japan, a distinction that lasted until 2012.
January 2008: SoftBank and Tiffany & Co. collaborate on limited edition phone
On January 28, 2008, SoftBank and Tiffany & Co. collaborated to create a limited edition phone containing over 400 platinum diamonds, totaling more than 20 carats, with a cost exceeding 100,000,000 yen.
February 2010: SoftBank acquires stake in Ustream
On February 3, 2010, SoftBank acquired a 13.7% stake in Ustream.
October 2010: Ayumi Hamasaki becomes commercial spokesperson
On October 1, 2010, Ayumi Hamasaki became the commercial spokesperson for SoftBank.
2010: Wireless City Planning (WCP) Founded
In 2010, SoftBank founded Wireless City Planning (WCP), a subsidiary with plans to develop TD-LTE networks across Japan.
2011: Nexon's IPO in Japan
In 2011, SBVA’s investment in Nexon Co, a Korean-Japanese gaming publisher, was the largest IPO in Japan for 2011.
2011: au by KDDI Offers iPhone
In 2011, au by KDDI began offering the iPhone 4S, ending SoftBank Mobile's exclusivity as the official carrier of the iPhone in Japan.
2011: Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Japan Series Championship
In 2011, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks won one of their seven Japan Series championships under SoftBank ownership, with all wins occurring between 2011 and 2020.
2011: SBVA Expanded Investment Focus
Since 2011, SoftBank Ventures Asia (SBVA) expanded its investment focus beyond South Korea.
October 2012: SoftBank Announces Plans to Take Control of Sprint Nextel
On October 15, 2012, SoftBank announced plans to take control of American Sprint Nextel by purchasing a 70% stake for $20 billion.
October 2012: Takeover of eAccess Announced
On October 3, 2012, SoftBank announced the takeover of competitor eAccess.
2012: End of "Otosan" Adverts Reign
In 2012, the "Otousan" adverts' reign as the most popular in Japan came to an end.
July 2013: Willcom becomes wholly-owned subsidiary
On July 1, 2013, SoftBank announced that Willcom was a wholly-owned subsidiary after the termination of rehabilitation proceedings. eAccess was merged with Willcom, resulting in the Ymobile Corporation brand from Yahoo! Japan.
July 2013: FCC Approves SoftBank's Acquisition of Sprint
On July 6, 2013, the United States Federal Communications Commission approved SoftBank's acquisition of Sprint for $22.2 billion, resulting in a 78% ownership interest.
August 2013: SoftBank Increases Ownership Stake in Sprint
On August 6, 2013, SoftBank bought 2% more shares of Sprint Corporation, increasing its ownership stake to 80%.
October 2013: SoftBank acquires stake in Supercell
In October 2013, SoftBank acquired a 51% stake in Supercell for a reported $2.1 billion.
2013: SoftBank buys controlling stake in Aldebaran Robotics
In 2013, SoftBank bought a controlling stake in French company Aldebaran Robotics, which was rebranded as SoftBank Robotics.
September 2014: Alibaba goes public
In September 2014, SoftBank's $20 million investment in Alibaba turned into $60 billion when Alibaba went public.
October 2014: SoftBank invests in OlaCabs and Snapdeal
On October 25, 2014, SoftBank invested $210 million in OlaCabs, and on October 28, 2014, they invested $627 million in Snapdeal, acquiring a 30% stake in the company.
November 2014: SoftBank invests in Housing.com
In November 2014, SoftBank invested $100 million in Housing.com, acquiring a 30% stake.
2014: Ymobile Corporation Established
In 2014, Ymobile Corporation, a telecommunications subsidiary, was established under SoftBank.
2014: SoftBank and Aldebaran Robotics co-design Pepper
In 2014, teams from SoftBank and Aldebaran Robotics co-designed Pepper, a humanoid robot.
May 2015: Masayoshi Son Appoints Nikesh Arora as President of SoftBank
In May 2015, Masayoshi Son announced he would appoint Nikesh Arora, a former Google executive, as Representative Director and President of SoftBank. Arora was heading SoftBank's investment arm at the time.
June 2015: SoftBank increases stake in Supercell and invests in Coupang
In June 2015, SoftBank acquired an additional 22.7% stake in Supercell, increasing its total stake to 73.2%. SoftBank also announced it would invest US$1 billion in the Korean e-commerce website Coupang.
July 2015: SoftBank Corp. Renamed to SoftBank Group Corp.
In July 2015, SoftBank Corp. was renamed to SoftBank Group Corp. Meanwhile, SoftBank Mobile was renamed to SoftBank Corp.
July 2015: SoftBank Mobile Merger
In July 2015, SoftBank Mobile was renamed SoftBank Corp after a merger with SoftBank BB Corp., SoftBank Telecom Corp., and Ymobile Corporation to better reflect its fixed-line and ISP operations.
2015: SoftBank Increases Stake in Aldebaran Robotics
In 2015, SoftBank increased its stake in Aldebaran Robotics to 95%.
2015: Baby Bonus Offered to Employees
In 2015, SoftBank introduced a baby bonus program for employees who have children, with payments ranging from 50,000 yen for the first child to 5 million yen for the fifth child.
February 2016: SoftBank Announces Share Repurchase Program
On February 16, 2016, SoftBank announced they would repurchase a record 14.2% of shares, valued at $4.4 billion, to boost investor confidence.
March 2016: SoftBank to Sell Shares in Alibaba Group
On March 31, 2016, SoftBank announced they would sell shares worth $7.9 billion of their stake in Alibaba Group.
June 2016: Nikesh Arora Steps Down from SoftBank
In June 2016, Nikesh Arora stepped down amidst pressure from investors. Board member Ron Fisher and Baer Capital Partners founder Alok Sama took over Arora's overseas investment duties.
June 2016: SoftBank Sells Stake in Supercell and GungHo Online Entertainment
In June 2016, SoftBank sold its 84% stake in Supercell to Tencent for a reported US$7.3 billion. On June 3, Softbank agreed to sell most of its stake in GungHo Online Entertainment (approximately 23.47%) for about $685 million.
September 2016: SoftBank Completes Acquisition of Arm Holdings
On September 5, 2016, SoftBank completed the acquisition of British chip designer Arm Holdings for more than US$32 billion.
December 2016: SoftBank Announces Investment in US Businesses
In December 2016, after meeting with then United States President-elect Donald Trump, chief executive Masayoshi Son announced SoftBank would be investing US$50 billion in the United States toward businesses, creating 50,000 new jobs.
January 2017: SoftBank Considers Investment in WeWork
In January 2017, the Wall Street Journal reported that SoftBank Group was considering an investment of well over $1 billion in shared-office space company WeWork.
February 2017: SoftBank to buy Fortress Investment Group LLC
In February 2017, SoftBank Group agreed to buy Fortress Investment Group LLC for $3.3 billion. Also in February 2017, it was announced that Social Finance Inc. was close to raising $500 million from an investor group led by Silver Lake, including Softbank.
March 2017: SoftBank Buys Stake in WeWork and considers investment in Didi Chuxing
In March 2017, SoftBank bought a $300m stake in WeWork. On March 28, 2017, the Wall Street Journal reported that SoftBank Group Corporation had approached Didi Chuxing Technology Co. about investing $6 billion to help the ride-hailing firm expand in self-driving car technologies.
May 2017: SoftBank invests in Paytm
On May 18, 2017, Softbank completed its single largest investment in India to date, investing $1.4 billion in Paytm.
May 2017: SoftBank and Saudi Arabia Partner to Create Vision Fund
On May 27, 2017, Softbank and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) partnered to create the Softbank Vision Fund, with a capital of $93 billion. Softbank Group contributed $28 billion to the investment fund.
June 2017: Alphabet Sells Boston Dynamics to SoftBank
On June 8, 2017, Alphabet Inc. announced the sale of Boston Dynamics to SoftBank Group for an undisclosed sum.
August 2017: SoftBank Invests in Flipkart
On August 10, 2017, Softbank invested $2.5 billion in Flipkart.
August 2017: SoftBank Finalizes Investment in WeWork
On August 25, 2017, SoftBank finalized a $4.4 billion investment in WeWork.
October 2017: SoftBank to Collaborate with Saudi Arabia on Neom
On October 24, 2017, Son announced the group would collaborate with Saudi Arabia to develop Neom, the new high-tech business and industrial city of the Saudi Kingdom.
November 2017: SoftBank Agrees to Invest in Uber
On November 14, 2017, Softbank agreed to invest $10 billion into Uber.
December 2017: SoftBank-Led Consortium Invests in Uber
On December 29, 2017, it was reported that a SoftBank-led consortium had invested $9 billion into Uber.
2017: Vision Fund Created
In 2017, SoftBank Investment Advisers created SoftBank's Vision Fund to invest in emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, and the internet of things.
2017: SoftBank Team Japan Races in America's Cup
In 2017, SoftBank Team Japan, supported by Yanmar, participated in the America's Cup races held in Bermuda.
2017: Official Jersey Sponsor of Japanese National Basketball Team
In 2017, SoftBank was the official jersey sponsor of the Japanese national basketball team at the official Asian Basketball Championship in Lebanon.
January 2018: Vision Fund invests in Auto1
In January 2018, Softbank's Vision Fund announced an investment of $560 million in Auto1, a German used-car sales portal.
January 2018: SoftBank Becomes Uber's Biggest Shareholder
In January 2018, the deal was set to close leaving SoftBank as Uber's biggest shareholder, with a 15 percent stake.
March 2018: Vision Fund invests in DoorDash
In March 2018, Softbank's Vision Fund spearheaded a $535 million investment in DoorDash.
May 2018: Walmart deal to buy Flipkart
In May 2018, CEO Masayoshi Son disclosed that Walmart had reached an agreement to acquire Flipkart.
September 2018: Saudi solar-power-generation project put on hold
In September 2018, Saudi government officials announced that a planned $200 billion project with SoftBank Group to build the world's biggest solar-power-generation project would be put on hold.
September 2018: Softbank invests in Opendoor
In September 2018, Softbank announced an investment of $400 million in Opendoor, a home-selling startup.
November 2018: SoftBank Corp. IPO announced
In November 2018, SoftBank announced an IPO of SoftBank Corp., the telecommunications operator, with the share price set at $13.22 (1,500 yen). The offering aimed to raise a total of $21.15 billion, potentially becoming the second-largest IPO ever.
December 2018: SoftBank plans to invest in Grab
In December 2018, SoftBank announced its intention to invest $1 billion in the ride-hailing startup Grab, with some sources suggesting the total investment could reach $1.5 billion.
December 2018: SoftBank invests in ParkJockey
In December 2018, SoftBank invested in ParkJockey, a startup focused on monetizing parking lots, bringing ParkJockey's valuation to $1 billion after the investment.
2018: SBVA Launched China Venture Fund I
In 2018, SoftBank Ventures Asia (SBVA) launched a $300M venture fund called ‘China Venture Fund I’, targeting Chinese start-ups.
July 2019: SoftBank Announces Vision Fund 2
In July 2019, SoftBank announced the creation of a "Vision Fund 2", excluding participation from the Saudi Arabia government. The fund is expected to invest approximately $108 billion, including $38 billion of its own funds, in AI-based technology.
September 2019: WeWork's IPO canceled
In September 2019, WeWork's IPO was canceled.
September 2019: Whiz robotic vacuum cleaner launched in Singapore
On September 25, 2019, Softbank Robotics launched the Whiz robotic vacuum cleaner in Singapore.
November 2019: Line Corp. and Z Holdings to become a new subsidiary
In November 2019, it was announced that Line Corp. and Z Holdings were going to be a new subsidiary under Naver Corporation and SoftBank Group, their respective owners.
December 2019: Softbank sells interest in Wag and Tadashi Yanai leaves the board
In December 2019, Softbank sold its interest in dog-walking startup Wag at a loss. Additionally, Tadashi Yanai, Fast Retailing's CEO, left the board after 18 years.
2019: Official Jersey Sponsor of Japanese National Basketball Team at FIBA World Cup
In 2019, SoftBank was the official jersey sponsor of the Japanese national basketball team at the FIBA World Cup.
January 2020: Softbank-funded startups cut staff
In January 2020, multiple Softbank-funded startups, including Getaround, Oyo, Rappi, Katerra, and Zume, began cutting their staff.
February 2020: Elliott Management buys stake in Softbank
In February 2020, Elliott Management, an activist hedge fund, acquired a $2.5 billion stake in Softbank and advocated for restructuring and greater transparency, leading to delays in plans for a second Vision Fund.
February 2020: Vision Fund 2 capital
In February 2020, a report from Wall Street Journal stated the Vision Fund 2 would only raise less than half of its capital goal.
March 2020: SoftBank announces asset sale
In March 2020, SoftBank announced an emergency ¥4.5tn ($41bn) asset sale to fund a share buyback and debt reduction in response to a decline in the company’s share price due to the pandemic. This included plans to repurchase ¥2tn of its shares in addition to a previous ¥500bn buyback, for a total of 45% of its stock. The share price rose almost 19% after the announcement.
April 2020: Sprint and T-Mobile merger completed
On April 1, 2020, Sprint's merger with T-Mobile US was completed, leaving T-Mobile the parent company and giving Softbank a 24% stake in the new T-Mobile. Deutsche Telekom holds 43% of the shares.
May 2020: Jack Ma resigns from SoftBank's board
In May 2020, Alibaba's co-founder and former CEO Jack Ma resigned from SoftBank's board.
July 2020: SoftBank considers selling Arm Holdings
In July 2020, SoftBank announced that it was considering selling or IPOing British chip designer Arm Holdings. The company's revenues for Q2 of 2020 were $12 billion, and it announced a new fund worth $555 million to invest in companies like Amazon, Apple, and Facebook.
September 2020: SoftBank ownership
As of 30 September 2020, SoftBank ownership is as follows:
September 2020: Vision Fund 2 invests in Biofourmis
In September 2020, SoftBank Vision Fund 2 led a $100 million Series C round in Biofourmis. Additionally, Softbank was identified as the Nasdaq whale, buying stock options worth billions in technology companies. Brightstar Corporation was sold to Brightstar Capital Partners for an undisclosed amount that month.
September 2020: Nvidia announces plans to acquire ARM
On September 13, 2020, American chip design company Nvidia announced plans to acquire ARM from SoftBank for US $40 billion in stock and cash, pending regulatory approval. SoftBank Group would retain a 10% share in the company, with ARM maintaining its headquarters in Cambridge. This deal later collapsed.
December 2020: Hyundai Motor Group acquires a stake in Boston Dynamics
In December 2020, Hyundai Motor Group acquired an 80% stake of Boston Dynamics from SoftBank for approximately $880 million, with SoftBank retaining about 20% through an affiliate.
2020: Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Japan Series Championship
In 2020, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks won one of their seven Japan Series championships under SoftBank ownership, with all wins occurring between 2011 and 2020.
January 2021: SoftBank sells Uber Technologies shares
In January 2021, SoftBank sold $2 billion in Uber Technologies shares through affiliate firm SB Cayman.
March 2021: SBVA Created Future Innovation Fund
In March 2021, SBVA created a $160M ‘future innovation fund’, focusing on AI start-ups.
March 2021: SoftBank Corporation subscriber count
In March 2021, SoftBank Corporation, a spun-out affiliate, had 45.621 million subscribers, making it the third-largest wireless carrier in Japan.
March 2021: SoftBank reports record profit and invests in eToro
In March 2021, SoftBank made a record $36.99 billion profit from its Vision Fund unit and investment gains from Coupang's public market debut. SoftBank Group's net profit was $45.88 billion, the largest recorded annual profit by a Japanese company in history. The same month, Vision Fund 2 invested $650 million in the eToro SPAC merger PIPE.
March 2021: Line Corp. and Z Holdings closing delayed
In March 2021, the closing of Line Corp. and Z Holdings becoming a new subsidiary, initially announced in November 2019, was delayed until March 2021 due to COVID-19.
April 2021: Softbank to acquire stake in AutoStore
In April 2021, Softbank announced plans to acquire a 40% stake in AutoStore for $2.8 billion.
May 2021: Softbank to sell SB Energy India
In May 2021, Softbank stated it would sell SB Energy India to Adani Green Energy, valuing the unit at $3.5 billion. The sale is speculated to mark a shift in the company's trajectory, moving away from investments in solar energy towards companies dealing with artificial intelligence.
July 2021: Softbank to invest in Yanolja
In July 2021, Softbank announced it would invest $870 million in the Korean hotel booking platform Yanolja.
August 2021: Son to make personal investments alongside Vision Fund 2
In August 2021, Son announced that he would begin to make personal investments alongside Softbank Group's Vision Fund 2.
October 2021: SBVA's Investment Portfolio
By October 2021, SoftBank Ventures Asia (SBVA) had invested in over 250 companies across 10 countries, managing a fund of US$1.3 billion.
July 2022: Softbank sells Uber holdings
In July 2022, Softbank disclosed that it sold its entire Uber holdings from April to July 2022. Softbank exited Opendoor in that quarter as well.
August 2022: Softbank sells Uber holdings
In August 2022, Softbank disclosed that it sold its entire Uber holdings from April to July 2022. Softbank exited Opendoor in that quarter as well.
December 2022: Masayoshi Son’s stake in SoftBank increased
By December 2022, Masayoshi Son’s stake in the company he founded had risen to 34.2% from 32.2% as of the end of September.
February 2023: Toyota Tsusho buys controlling interest in SB Energy
In February 2023, Toyota Tsusho announced that it had bought the controlling interest in SB Energy, which would become a subsidiary alongside Toyota Tsusho subsidiary Eurus Energy.
April 2023: SoftBank Group to Sell SBVA
In April 2023, Masayoshi Son's SoftBank Group announced it would sell its early-stage venture capital arm, SoftBank Ventures Asia, to The Edgeof, led by Taizo Son.
April 2023: SoftBank sells SoftBank Ventures Asia Corp
In April 2023, SoftBank Group Corp. announced it was selling its Korea-based early-stage venture capital arm SoftBank Ventures Asia Corp. to a Singapore-based company run by Masayoshi Son’s youngest brother.
May 2023: SoftBank Vision Fund losses widen
In May 2023, the SoftBank Group announced that losses from the SoftBank Vision Fund had widened 70 percent to a record $32 billion from a year ago. SoftBank Group also sold the stake in Fortress Investment Group to Mubadala and Fortress' management.
August 2023: SoftBank buys back stake in ARM
In August 2023, SoftBank bought back the 25% stake in Arm from Vision Fund for around $16 billion, valuing Arm at over $64 billion.
September 2023: Arm goes public
In September 2023, Arm went public on the Nasdaq raising $4.87 billion at a $54.5 billion valuation, with SoftBank continuing to own 90.6% of the company.
December 2023: SoftBank Corp acquires controlling stake in Cubic Telecom
In December 2023, telecommunication company SoftBank Corp, a subsidiary of SoftBank Group Corp, paid $513 million for a controlling stake in Irish technology company Cubic Telecom.
2023: SoftBank's Funds Performance
By 2023, the dismal performance of SoftBank’s funds cast a shadow over the initial exuberance of Masayoshi Son and his company regarding its huge, largely unprofitable intercorporate investments that had become the main mission, vision and purpose of the entire SoftBank Group.
May 2024: Softbank launches joint venture with Tempus AI
In May 2024, Softbank launched a joint venture with healthcare technology company Tempus AI to provide precision medical services in Japan using AI.
June 2024: SoftBank Invests in Perplexity AI
On June 27, 2024, it was reported that SoftBank invested in the AI search startup Perplexity AI, valuing the company at $3 billion. The investment aligns with SoftBank's strategy to support innovative AI companies, with funding expected to accelerate the startup's growth and AI capabilities.
December 2024: Softbank Plans $100 Billion Investment in the US
In December 2024, it was reported that Softbank plans to invest $100 billion in the US over the next 4 years, with funding coming from various sources controlled by Softbank, including the Vision Fund, capital projects or chipmaker Arm Holdings. The investment aims to create 100,000 jobs focused on artificial intelligence and related infrastructure.
2024: Forbes Global 2000 Rank
In 2024, SoftBank was ranked as the 461st largest public company in the world on the Forbes Global 2000 list.
January 21, 2025: SoftBank, OpenAI, and Oracle to launch AI infrastructure system
On January 21, 2025, Softbank, along with OpenAI and Oracle, announced the launch of Stargate, an artificial intelligence infrastructure system in conjunction with the US government. The project is estimated to cost $500 billion and will be funded over four years.
February 2025: SoftBank and OpenAI Announce Joint Venture: SB OpenAI Japan
In February 2025, SoftBank announced a joint venture with OpenAI called SB OpenAI Japan, committing to spend $3 billion annually to deploy OpenAI solutions across SoftBank companies. The joint venture, with 50:50 ownership, aims to introduce AI agents tailored to the unique needs of Japanese enterprises.
March 2025: SoftBank Agrees to Acquire Ampere Computing
In March 2025, SoftBank entered into an agreement to acquire Ampere Computing, a company that produces energy-efficient and high-performance processors, for $6.5 billion, with the transaction expected to close in the latter half of 2025.
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