Marketplace®

Daily business news and economic stories
Mar 12, 2018

03/12/2018: Softbank’s $98 billion venture fund is a rampaging gorilla

The Japanese multinational SoftBank Group launched its $98 billion VisionFund last year. Since then, it’s dramatically changed the landscape in tech and venture capital. The fund has taken a majority stake in Uber, poured billions into WeWork, Nvidia, DoorDash, Slack and the dog walking startup Wag. SoftBank’s influence is so big, it’s pushing other venture capital companies to raise more money. Sequoia Capital, one of Silicon Valley’s best-known firms, is reportedly trying to raise more than $12 billion in new capital just to keep up. Marketplace Tech host Molly Wood speaks to Anand Sanwal of CB Insights about how VisionFund is changing everything.

SoftBank Group Corp Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son gestures as he delivers a speech during a press briefing to announce the company's financial results in Tokyo on Feb. 7, 2018.
 
 
 
SoftBank Group Corp Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son gestures as he delivers a speech during a press briefing to announce the company's financial results in Tokyo on Feb. 7, 2018.      
KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP/Getty Images

Subscribe:

The Japanese multinational SoftBank Group launched its $98 billion VisionFund last year. Since then, it’s dramatically changed the landscape in tech and venture capital. The fund has taken a majority stake in Uber, poured billions into WeWork, Nvidia, DoorDash, Slack and the dog walking startup Wag. SoftBank’s influence is so big, it’s pushing other venture capital companies to raise more money. Sequoia Capital, one of Silicon Valley’s best-known firms, is reportedly trying to raise more than $12 billion in new capital just to keep up. Marketplace Tech host Molly Wood speaks to Anand Sanwal of CB Insights about how VisionFund is changing everything.