SoftBank
SoftBank Group is a Japanese multinational conglomerate holding company that focuses on investment management.
News Heat Trend
Related news
Bitget U.S. IPO Prime Phase II: OpenAI’s IPO Subscription Opens on May 12
According to the official announcement, the second asset launched on Bitget IPO Prime is preOPAI—a digital token issued by the regulated issuer Republic on the Solana blockchain, designed to mirror OpenAI’s post-IPO economic performance on a 1:1 basis. As the world’s leading consumer AI provider, OpenAI reports approximately 900 million weekly active users, according to official data. Its most recent funding round raised $122 billion, with participants including Microsoft, NVIDIA, Amazon, and SoftBank. Bitget IPO Prime operates on a subscription model, whereby users receive subscription quotas based on their account tier. Upon completion of token allocation, users may trade the tokens on the upcoming spot market. Alternatively, after the lock-up period for preOPAI’s underlying debt assets expires, the issuer will authorize Bitget to convert users’ holdings into either stock tokens or USDT, referencing the underlying company’s (OpenAI’s) publicly traded stock price. IPO Prime Details: • OpenAI Implied Valuation: $898.21 billion • Total IPO Prime Subscriptions: 29,082 • Total Subscription Value: $21,084,450 • Subscription Price: 1 preOPAI = $725 • Accepted Subscription Currencies: USDT or USDGO • Total Subscription Pool Cap: $300,000,000
based
Bitget
Cap
NVIDIA
Price
Republic
SoftBank Group Cuts Back on Financing Plan Secured by OpenAI Equity
According to Bloomberg, SoftBank Group is scaling back a financing plan that uses its equity stake in OpenAI as collateral. The original plan aimed to raise approximately $10 billion in margin loans, but the amount may now be reduced to around $6 billion. Reportedly, some lenders have expressed concerns about the transaction structure and the reliability of OpenAI’s valuation as a private company—key factors hindering progress on the financing. The loan was initially structured as a two-year facility, extendable by one year, secured against SoftBank’s OpenAI equity holdings, and intended to further expand its investment footprint in the artificial intelligence sector.
AI-powered recruitment platform Ethos raises $22.75M in Series A funding, led by a16z
London-based AI recruitment platform Ethos has raised $22.75 million in Series A funding, led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) with participation from General Catalyst. Ethos uses AI-powered interviews and assessments of professional artifacts—including essays, code, and more—to build detailed skill profiles of candidates and match them to paid opportunities such as expert consulting, market research, AI data labeling, advisory roles, and full-time positions. Founded in 2023 by James Lo and Daniel J. Mankowitz—former employees of Google DeepMind, McKinsey & Company, and SoftBank—the company aims to address the growing challenge of identifying genuine candidate capabilities amid rising numbers of fabricated or AI-generated resumes. The new capital will be used to scale its AI agents, expand its global network of experts, and deepen collaborations with AI labs and enterprise clients.
based
Catalyst
Catalyst
Company
Ethos
Ethos
SoftBank plans to establish and list an AI company, “Roze,” in the U.S.
According to the Financial Times, sources revealed that SoftBank Group plans to establish and list in the U.S. an independent intelligent robotics and data center company named “Roze.” SoftBank aims to take Roze public this year, targeting a valuation of $100 billion. SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son is spearheading this initiative, which seeks to recoup the company’s multibillion-dollar investments in artificial intelligence. SoftBank has been steadily increasing its debt, while Son endeavors to position himself as a pivotal figure in the global AI boom—having made massive investments in OpenAI.
SoftBank Seeks $10 Billion Loan Secured by OpenAI Shares
According to Bloomberg, SoftBank Group is seeking a $10 billion margin loan secured by its stake in OpenAI, with a two-year term and an option to extend for one additional year. This move aims to fund SoftBank’s continued expansion in the artificial intelligence sector.
SoftBank, NEC, Honda, and Sony Group jointly establish a Japanese domestic AI foundation model development company
According to Jiji Press, SoftBank, NEC, Honda, and Sony Group have jointly established a new company named “Japan AI Foundation Model Development,” aiming to advance the development of domestically produced AI foundation models. The company plans to assemble approximately 100 AI developers, with its president appointed from SoftBank’s executive ranks. In addition to the four founding companies, Nippon Steel, Kobe Steel, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, and Mizuho Bank are also participating as investors. SoftBank and NEC will lead development efforts, while Honda will apply the outcomes in autonomous driving. Preferred Networks is also involved. The company intends to widely open access to its AI technologies to Japanese enterprises beyond its investors and expand into robotics AI. If selected by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), the company expects to receive ¥1 trillion (approximately RMB 43 billion) in government support over five years starting in fiscal year 2026.
Foundation
Foundation
Steel