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☆ SoftBank Vision Fund posts first annual gain in 3 years, up $4.6 billion
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

SoftBank's Vision Fund, the brainchild of the company's founder Masayoshi Son, has faced a number of headwinds including a slump in technology stocks as a result of rising interest rates, a tough China market and geopolitics. SoftBank posted a 7.24 billion Japanese yen ($4.6 billion) gain on its Vision Fund in the fiscal year ended March, the first time the flagship tech investment arm has been in the black since 2021. SoftBank's flagship tech investment arm, the Vision Fund, had a tough time in the fiscal year that ended in March 2023, posting a record loss of around $32 billion amid a slump in tech stock prices and the souring of some of the business' bets in China. However, in the June quarter of last year, the Vision Fund posted its first investment gain in five consecutive quarters, signalling early stages of a recovery. SoftBank's Chief Financial Officer Yoshimitsu Goto said in the previous quarter that SoftBank had shifted from an "Alibaba to AI-centric portfolio."

Persons: Masayoshi Son, SoftBank, Masayoshi, Yoshimitsu Goto, Goto Organizations: Vision, Vision Fund Locations: China, Alibaba

☆ SoftBank shares extend their surge, pop more than 15% on earnings beat
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Sheila Chiang | In Sheilachiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

SoftBank's Vision Fund, the brainchild of the company's founder Masayoshi Son, has faced a number of headwinds including a slump in technology stocks as a result of rising interest rates, a tough China market and geopolitics. Shares of SoftBank Group rose as much as 15.29% Friday morning, a day after the Japanese investment firm posted earnings that beat analysts' expectations. SoftBank's on Thursday posted its first quarterly profit following four quarters of losses, thanks to big gains at its Vision Fund. For the December quarter, SoftBank's net income was 950 billion Japanese yen ($6.36 billion), far exceeding LSEG estimates of 196.5 billion yen. Its flagship tech investment arm the Vision Fund booked investment gains of 600.7 billion Japanese yen, continuing a recovery after record losses in the previous fiscal year.

Persons: Masayoshi Son, SoftBank's, ChatGPT Organizations: Vision, Vision Fund, Nasdaq Locations: China

☆ SoftBank's Vision Fund logs $4 billion gain, its biggest in nearly 3 years, as tech valuations recover
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

SoftBank posted its biggest gain in nearly three years at the flagship tech investment arm, the Vision Fund, in the December quarter amid a recovery in valuation of technology companies. Here's how SoftBank did in the December quarter against LSEG estimates:Net sales: 1.77 trillion Japanese yen ($11.9 billion) versus 1.8 trillion Japanese yen expected. Net income: 950 billion Japanese yen versus 196.5 billion yen expected. The Vision Fund logged a gain on investment of 600.7 billion Japanese yen, continuing a recovery after record losses in the previous fiscal year. That gain is the highest since the March 2021 quarter when the Vision Fund posted a 3.59 trillion yen gain.

Persons: Son, SoftBank Organizations: Nvidia, Vision Fund Locations: China

☆ SoftBank said it is shifting from 'Alibaba to AI' — here's what that means
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailSoftBank said it is shifting from 'Alibaba to AI' — here's what that meansSoftBank's Vision Fund posted its highest gain since the March quarter of 2021. The CFO talked about how the company is focusing on investments in artificial intelligence and has reduced its exposure to China, CNBC's Arjun Kharpal reports.

Persons: SoftBank, CNBC's Arjun Kharpal Organizations: Fund Locations: China

☆ CNBC Daily Open: Bond yields resurge on Powell’s speech
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Jerome Powell, Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, speaks during the 24th Jacques Polak Annual Research Conference in Washington DC, United States on November 09, 2023. This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our new, international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. But SoftBank still recorded a quarterly loss of 931.1 billion yen — that's around $6.2 billion — on the collapse of WeWork. [PRO] Higher than neutralThe Federal Reserve projects the U.S.' neutral interest rate — the so-called rate at which rates neither encourage nor constrict the economy — to be 2.5%.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Jacques Polak, Hawkish Powell, Powell, there's, Tesla, SoftBank, Goldman Sachs Organizations: U.S . Federal Reserve, Washington DC, CNBC, Nasdaq, AstraZeneca, Azelis, HSBC Global, HSBC, Fund, Federal Reserve Locations: Washington, United States, U.S, Belgian, Tesla's, SoftBank

☆ SoftBank's Vision Fund ekes out gain but company posts $6.2 billion quarterly loss
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

SoftBank posted an investment gain on its Vision Fund in the fiscal second quarter but booked another quarterly loss. Here's how SoftBank did in the September quarter against LSEG estimates:Net sales: 1.67 trillion Japanese yen ($11 billion) versus 1.6 trillion yen expectedNet loss: 931.1 billion yen ($6.2 billion) versus an expected loss of 114.1 billion yenFor the first half of SoftBank's fiscal year, it posted a 1.41 trillion loss ($9.3 billion). This compares to a 3 trillion yen profit in the same period last year. SoftBank's Vision Fund posted an investment gain of 21.3 billion yen, its second straight quarter of gains. Correction: The headline of this article has been updated to reflect a $6.2 billion quarterly loss.

Persons: Masayoshi, SoftBank, Masayoshi Son, Arm Organizations: Vision Fund, Fund, U.S . Locations: U.S, SoftBank, China

☆ Softbank chief says that those who don't adopt AI are 'goldfish' who will be 'left behind'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Masayoshi Son said AI skeptics are "hallucinators" who will be "left behind." The Softbank founder believes that AI will surpass all human knowledge by 2030. Softbank is reportedly discussing a $1 billion deal with OpenAI and Jony Ive to create the "iPhone of AI." AdvertisementAdvertisementSoftbank CEO Masayoshi Son has slammed AI doubters as "goldfish" and "hallucinators" – and suggested that AI models will be smarter than every human on earth by the end of the decade. AdvertisementAdvertisementHis comments come amid an AI arms race, as major tech companies and investors pour huge amounts of money into artificial intelligence start-ups.

Persons: Masayoshi Son, Softbank, —, –, Son, Anthropic, OpenAI, Johnny Organizations: Service, Wall Street, Amazon, Financial Times, Apple Locations: Tokyo

☆ Silicon Valley fund Bessemer Venture Partners expands European investment team with hire of ex-SoftBank VP
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Silicon Valley fund Bessemer Venture Partners has expanded its European investment team with the hire of former SoftBank vice president Justina Chung. Chung has joined Bessemer's London office, which is led by partner Alex Ferrara who opened the fund's European operations in 2020. Bessemer made its first European investment in 2004 and has continued to back startups in the region, including German fintechs Upvest and Mambu as well as British neobank Zopa. Chung was a vice president at SoftBank's Vision Fund, where she served on the boards of temp staffing agency Jobandtalent and second-hand designer fashion marketplace Vestiaire Collective. "It's clear that great founders begin their journey here, in Tallinn or Stockholm, London, Paris or Berlin," Chung, who is now a vice president at Bessemer, told Insider.

Persons: Justina Chung, Chung, Alex Ferrara, Bessemer, Jobandtalent, Goldman Sachs Organizations: Bessemer Venture Partners, LinkedIn, Bessemer's London, SoftBank's Vision, Sorare, SoftBank, Credit Suisse, Bessemer, US Locations: San Francisco, Tallinn, Stockholm, London, Paris, Berlin, Europe, Mistral

☆ Vision 2030 is Saudi Arabia's grand plan to future-proof its oil-based economy. Experts say it's a huge risk.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Vision 2030 is Saudi Arabia's grand plan to transform its economy and reduce its reliance on oil. The centerpiece of Vision 2030 is Neom, which includes a $1 trillion megacity known as The Line. But time is ticking: Seven years after announcing Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia has reached the midway point of its timeline, with just seven years left to the finish line. That said, much of this is being financed by the Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia's powerful sovereign wealth fund, which manages assets worth about $700 billion. NeomA key factor that could determine this project's success involves Saudi Arabia's changing appeal to the West.

Persons: Saud, who's, Simon Mabon, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, McKinsey —, —, Gerald Feierstein, Barack Obama, Feierstein, Richard Callis, Prince Mohammed, Yasir Othman al, Mabon, Prince Mohammed's, there's, Muslimi, they're Organizations: Foreign Policy Center, Saudi Royal Court, REUTERS, Saudi Crown, McKinsey, Middle East Institute, Public Investment Fund, Saudi, SoftBank's Vision, Newcastle United soccer, Newcastle United FC, Saudi Aramco, International Monetary Fund, Chatham House, Neom, United, Bloomberg, Amnesty International Locations: Saudi, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, London, NEOM, Bandar, Yemen, Ukraine, Riyadh, Jeddah, they're, United Arab Emirates, Neom

☆ What ARM's expected debut means for the IPO market and SoftBank
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Its debut will be a big deal for an IPO market that's been in the doldrums since 2022, but the company's listing has big implications for SoftBank as well. SoftBank agreed to acquire Arm in 2016 for $32 billion, which at the time was the biggest-ever purchase of a European technology company. The unit also swung to a 9.5 billion yen loss, having made a profit of 29.8 billion yen in the same period a year earlier. SoftBank said its Vision Fund booked an investment gain of 159.8 billion yen, its first gain in five consecutive quarters. In July, the company led a $65 million investment in U.K. insurance technology company Tractable.

Persons: Son, Tomohiro Ohsumi, SoftBank, It's, Rene Haas, Haas, Nvidia SoftBank, Arm, Grace Hopper, Didi, Uber, Yoshimitsu Goto, Leswing Organizations: SoftBank Group Corp, ARM Holdings, Bloomberg, Getty, Apple, reining, Acorn Computers, Acorn, Machines, VLSI Technology, CNBC, ARM, Nvidia, Vision, Investors, AMD, Vision Fund Locations: Tokyo, Cambridge, England, Switzerland, European, Europe, U.S, London, New York

☆ A.I. startup founder charged with defrauding investors, manipulating documents
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The fraud ground to a halt, prosecutors alleged, after Brackett was unable to attract further investors and simply ran out of funds. It shopped documents claiming $3.7 million in annual revenue around to investors and various short-term lenders, prosecutors allege. Brackett allegedly "transferred Firm-1's funds out of the account," and the company soon collapsed. Centricity's tale echoes the fraud allegedly perpetrated by Charlie Javice, the troubled startup founder of the fintech Frank. Similar to the allegations against Brackett, Javice allegedly manipulated her metrics to convince JPMorgan to acquire her startup.

Persons: Damian Williams, Martin Luther King Jr, Michael Brackett, Brackett, Centricity, Charlie Javice, Frank, Javice Organizations: Attorney, Southern, of, National Action Network House, Justice, Wall Street, JPMorgan, Vision Fund Locations: Manhattan, U.S, Switzerland, Maine

☆ SoftBank posts surprise loss even as Vision Fund back in black after five quarters
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

SoftBank reported a surprise loss in the first quarter covering April-June, despite an investment gain from its massive tech-focused Vision Fund. Here's how the company did:The SoftBank group reported a net loss attributable to owners of the parent of 477.6 billion yen ($3.3 billion). The tech conglomerate, which engages in venture capital investing through its Vision Fund, has had its fair share of ups and downs. The brainchild of founder Masayoshi Son, SoftBank's Vision Fund comprises Vision Fund 1 and Vision Fund 2 and invests in high growth stocks. Misra was instrumental in the early days of the Vision Fund, which was launched in 2017.

Persons: SoftBank, GoTo, Masayoshi Son, Son, Yoshimitsu Goto, Rajeev Misra, Misra, — CNBC's Arjun Kharpal, Sheila Chang Organizations: Vision Fund, Vision, Silicon, Nvidia Locations: Alibaba, Indonesian, U.S

☆ SoftBank sues social media startup it invested in, alleging it faked user numbers
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

SoftBank's Vision Fund filed suit against the founders of one of its portfolio companies Monday, alleging that they artificially inflated user metrics, lied to the fund about performance and bilked the fund for millions. Buzzy social media startup IRL launched in April 2021 and was seemingly "one of the fastest growing social media apps for Generation Z," the complaint in San Francisco federal court alleges. SoftBank was invested in the company due to its apparently low cost, "strong" user engagement that left it "well positioned for further viral growth" in the same way Facebook and Twitter exploded. SoftBank believed that IRL had 12 million monthly active users. Past missteps from SoftBank include large positions in allegedly fraudulent crypto exchange FTX and devalued property company WeWork .

Persons: Masayoshi, SoftBank, Abraham Shafi, Noah Shafi, Yassin Aniss, Abraham Shafi's Organizations: Vision Fund, Facebook, Twitter, IRL, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission Locations: San Francisco, SoftBank

☆ SoftBank prepares new round of layoffs at Vision Fund, Reuters reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

SoftBank's Vision Fund posted a record loss in the year ended Mar. The flagship tech investment unit has been hit by the falling prices of tech stocks. SoftBank Group Corp is planning a fresh round of layoffs at its Vision Fund investment arm, two people familiar with the matter said, the latest cost-cutting move at the Japanese conglomerate. SoftBank's Vision Fund unit, which has booked heavy investment losses, had headcount of 349 at the end of March, according to a company report. It cushioned the investment loss at the Vision Fund unit by selling down its stake in Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.

Persons: ByteDance Organizations: Vision, Mar, SoftBank, Corp, Vision Fund, Fund, International, Alibaba, Holding Locations: U.S, China

SAN FRANCISCO, June 12 (Reuters) - SoftBank Group Corp (9984.T) is planning a fresh round of layoffs at its Vision Fund investment arm, two people familiar with the matter said, the latest cost-cutting move at the Japanese conglomerate. SoftBank's Vision Fund unit, which has booked heavy investment losses, had headcount of 349 at the end of March, according to a company report. If finalized, this would follow the elimination of about 150 jobs globally at the investing arm and SoftBank Group International in September. It cushioned the investment loss at the Vision Fund unit by selling down its stake in Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (9988.HK). Vision Fund 2's portfolio was worth $31 billion at end-March compared with an acquisition cost of $49.9 billion.

Persons: ByteDance, SoftBank, SoftBank's, Krystal Hu, Sam Nussey, Kenneth Li, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: FRANCISCO, SoftBank Group Corp, Vision Fund, Fund, SoftBank, International, Vision, Alibaba, Holding, HK, Intel, Thomson Locations: U.S, China, The Cambridge, England, San Francisco, Tokyo

☆ Microsoft's venture capital arm, M12, has faced months of turmoil over a change in strategy and pay, insiders say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Microsoft's M12 changed its strategy to become less like a VC and more like a business development team. "As with any leadership and strategy change, we aligned our team in a way that helps us meet our future direction. The problem with that shift, sources said, is that a corporate fund needs people who have very different career goals than an independent venture fund does. "Over the last year and half, we brought on new leadership at M12 and intentionally changed our corporate VC strategy. Employees who went along with the strategy change are generally happy at the fund, two of the people said.

☆ SoftBank shares drop after its Vision Fund tech investment unit posts a $32 billion record loss
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

In this article 9984.T-JP Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTSoftBank's Vision Fund posted a record loss in the year ended Mar. The flagship tech investment unit has been hit by the falling prices of tech stocks. Akio Kon | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesShares of Japanese tech investor SoftBank fell on Friday after the company reported a record loss at its Vision Fund tech investment unit. The company said on Thursday that its Vision Fund segment lost a record 4.3 trillion Japanese yen ($32 billion) for its fiscal year ending Mar. The $100 billion Vision Fund was launched in 2017 under the stewardship of SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son and shook up the tech investing world.

☆ SoftBank posts record $32 billion loss at its Vision Fund tech investment arm
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Japanese giant's Vision Fund segment posted a 4.3 trillion Japanese yen ($32 billion) loss for its fiscal year ending Mar. 31 versus a 2.55 trillion yen loss in the same period a year before. SoftBank posted an overall loss on investments at its Vision Funds of 5.28 trillion Japanese yen versus 3.43 trillion yen a year before. The brainchild of founder Masayoshi Son, SoftBank's Vision Fund comprises Vision Fund 1 and Vision Fund 2 and invests in high growth stocks, which have faced headwinds from rising interest rates globally causing investors to sell out of riskier equities such as tech. Misra was instrumental in the early days of the Vision Fund, which was launched in 2017.

☆ Jellysmack is hiring a new M&A leader as it eyes acquisitions in the 'near future'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Creator company Jellysmack is hiring a new M&A lead to help integrate companies that it buys. Jellysmack said it's interested in M&A and could be "acquisitive in the near future." Creator startup Jellysmack is hiring a new executive to lead its M&A integration practice as the company looks to diversify its business and grow its content portfolio, a company spokesperson confirmed to Insider. "Jellysmack remains interested in the M&A market and could be acquisitive in the near future," the spokesperson said. "The VP, PMI role we are hiring for will ensure the integration of any acquisitions are successful."

☆ CEO of fitness band maker Whoop mocks the demise of Amazon's Halo health device
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Annie Palmer | In Annierpalmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The CEO of Whoop, a fitness band favored by athletes, is claiming victory over Amazon after the e-retailer pulled the plug on its line of Halo devices. Amazon said last week it will discontinue its Halo health and fitness devices, and shut down the Halo program, resulting in some employees being let go. Whoop CEO Will Ahmed said he views the demise of Halo as a win for his startup. He claimed the Halo wristband, which tracks users' physical activity, sleep and mood, was a knockoff of Whoop's own device. Whoop launched its first product, the Whoop 1.0, in 2015.

☆ SoftBank's Vision Fund posts fourth straight quarter of losses as tech slump hits Japanese giant
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

SoftBank's Vision Fund, the brainchild of the company's founder Masayoshi Son, has faced a number of headwinds including a slump in technology stocks as a result of rising interest rates, a tough China market and geopolitics. SoftBank's flagship investment arm the Vision Fund posted its fourth straight quarterly loss on Tuesday as a slump in technology valuations continues to hit the Japanese giant. The Vision Fund segment posted a pre-tax loss of 660 billion Japanese yen ($5 billion) for the December quarter. SoftBank's Vision Fund's loss on investments came in at 730.35 billion yen over the three-month period. SoftBank Group overall reported a net loss of 783.4 billion yen, sinking back to a quarterly loss after posting a profit in the July-to-September quarter.

☆ Fanatics is divesting its 60% stake in NFT company Candy Digital
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Michael Rubin's sports platform company Fanatics is divesting its 60% stake in NFT company Candy Digital, according to an internal email obtained by CNBC. Candy Digital was founded in June 2021 in the middle of the sports NFT boom, competing with companies like Dapper Labs in the digital sports collectible space. It also released digital collectibles with Netflix 's Stranger Things, WWE , and several Nascar teams. Dapper Labs, the company behind NBA Top Shot and NFL All Day digital trading platforms that ranked No. "Over the past year, it has become clear that NFTs are unlikely to be sustainable or profitable as a standalone business," Rubin wrote.

☆ Five Chinese startups that survived a tough year of Covid lockdowns
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Qilai Shen | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesBEIJING — In a year of Covid lockdowns and travel restrictions, some Chinese startups that survived found growth online and overseas. The startup avoided significant impact from China's Covid lockdowns since it could deliver its products virtually, Jiang said. The company aggressively pushed overseas in 2022 – launching subsidiaries in Tokyo, Seoul, Germany, Dubai, Los Angeles and Hong Kong, Wan said. Previously, Wan said that Keenon had seen revenue at least double or more every year from a lower base, when the China market was growing. The company has a staff of 100 people in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong and Los Angeles, Lin said.

☆ Here's what Charles Schwab's Liz Ann Sonders has to say about the economy, her favorite book, and investing in a recession
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Today's newsletter features my conversation with Liz Ann Sonders of Charles Schwab, and why she thinks the economy's already in a recession. Charles SchwabLiz Ann Sonders is the chief investment strategist at Charles Schwab. Phil Rosen: Can you explain your "rolling recession" assessment of the US economy? Liz Ann Sonders: Typically when you go into a recession, everything's sort of hit all at once. Read the full interview with Liz Ann Sonders here.

☆ 2023 is shaping up to be a big year for dealmaking in live sports. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Big deals for the big (and little) screen. Next year is shaping up to be a big one for media deals. Like many other industries, media quickly turned quiet on the dealmaking front this year as the economy soured. However, a stabilization of interest rates, along with money burning a hole in investors' pockets, could lead to a big 2023, insiders say. The landscape for media deals is fascinating when you consider the two opposing forces, as Lucia pointed out to me.

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