SoftBank Group

One of the world's largest technology investment conglomerates, with unparalleled capital deployment in AI, AdTech, and digital media globally

SoftBank Group Corp. is a Tokyo-based multinational conglomerate founded by Masayoshi Son in 1981, best known today for its massive technology investment arm. Through its SoftBank Vision Fund 1 and Vision Fund 2 — collectively representing over $150 billion in committed capital — SoftBank has become one of the most influential forces shaping the global technology landscape, with significant stakes in AI, AdTech, e-commerce, fintech, and digital media companies across the world. In the AdTech and digital media ecosystem, SoftBank has made consequential investments in companies such as The Trade Desk, Uber (which has an advertising division), and numerous AI-driven marketing technology firms. Its portfolio companies span programmatic advertising, data analytics, connected TV, and performance marketing. SoftBank's scale and capital deployment give it unparalleled influence over the direction of technology investment in advertising and media, often acting as a kingmaker for emerging platforms. SoftBank Group is publicly traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and operates a complex holding structure that includes SoftBank Corp. (its Japanese telecom subsidiary), Arm Holdings (the chip design company it took public in 2023), and its Vision Fund investment vehicles. The company's strategy centers on identifying and backing category-defining technology companies at scale, making it a critical — if indirect — participant in the global AdTech industry.