SoftBank sells off Vision Fund assets as Son pivots to AI, chips

SoftBank sells off Vision Fund assets as Son pivots to AI, chips
Masayoshi Son. (Image: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg)
Bloomberg
By Min Jeong Lee(Bloomberg) -- SoftBank Group Corp.’s flagship Vision Fund has quietly sold off or written down billions of dollars’ worth of its publicly-listed holdings in recent years, a sign of founder Masayoshi Son’s shift away from the venture capital deals that were once an obsession and toward strategic investments in semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI).Since the end of 2021, the world’s biggest startup fund has seen its US-listed portfolio shrink by almost US$29 billion (NZ$48.1b) as it sold down sta...

More Technology

ACC-backed Basis launches world first smart panel
Technology

ACC-backed Basis launches world first smart panel

Forget fomo, this smart device combats folo. 

Xero’s Melio ‘leap of faith’
Markets Analysis

Xero’s Melio ‘leap of faith’

The NZ-founded company’s giant-killer dreams in the US hinge on this huge bet. 

Tip to companies: Beware of promoting AI in products
Technology

Tip to companies: Beware of promoting AI in products

Buyers have less trust – and less interest – in products labelled as powered by AI.

Review: Logitech LIGHTSPEED G522 headset
The Life

Review: Logitech LIGHTSPEED G522 headset

Sometimes you need to sacrifice unnecessary add-ons for comfort and functionality.