SoftBank’s AI Portfolio: Startups Backed by the Vision Fund (2025 Tracker)
This tracker highlights SoftBank’s Vision Fund's biggest investments in foundation models, robotics, and deep tech AI companies.
Last updated: [Sept, 2025]
About SoftBank’s Vision Fund in AI
SoftBank has been a major force in AI investing, backing foundational model companies, robotics ventures, and infrastructure players. With renewed focus in 2025, the Vision Fund is doubling down on capital-intensive, high-reward bets — from autonomous systems to large language models.
| Category | Notable Investments | Deal Size / Year | Trend Insight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation Models / GenAI | OpenAI | Up to $40B follow-on (Mar 2025) | Massive reaffirmation of SoftBank’s confidence in GPT-scale models (ソフトバンクグループ株式会社) |
| AI Infrastructure / Data Centers | Stargate joint venture | $100B → $500B by 2029 | Ambitious AI infrastructure buildout led by SoftBank (Wikipedia, The Guardian) |
| AI Chips / Semiconductor | Ampere Computing acquisition | $6.5B (expected close H2 2025) | Key vertical expansion—owning compute stack for AI (MarketWatch, Business Insider) |
| Robotics / Foundation Models | Skild AI (in talks) | Valuation approaching $4B | Push into general-purpose robot brains (Financial Times) |
| Biopharma AI | XtalPi | (SoftBank-backed) | AI-powered drug / material discovery, global pharma applicability (Wikipedia) |
| AI Infrastructure (Cloud/Infra as a Service) | CoreWeave | (Existing portfolio) | Supports GPU-heavy AI workloads—cloud positioning enhances stack |
| Generative AI / Video Utils | OpusClip | (SoftBank-backed via Vision Fund 2) | AI content creation tools—reflects SoftBank’s creative AI thesis (Business Insider) |
Know a company we missed? Email us to get it added.
Featured Portfolio Highlights
1. OpenAI
- Round: $40B Private Funding (Mar 2025)
- Valuation: Estimated $90B
- Sector: Foundation Models / GenAI
- What They Do: Developer of GPT models and ChatGPT platform
- Why It Matters: Largest private tech deal in history. This signals SoftBank's full confidence in foundation model winners.
2. Stargate (OpenAI + Oracle + SoftBank Joint Venture)
- Deal: $100B initial; up to $500B pledged by 2029
- Sector: AI Infrastructure / Data Centers
- Why It Matters: Largest AI infrastructure initiative globally—SoftBank leads capital commitment with strategic U.S. footprint
3. Isomorphic Labs
- Round: $600M Series A (Mar 2025)
- Valuation: Undisclosed
- Sector: AI Drug Discovery / Biotech
- What They Do: AI-first platform for protein folding and drug development (DeepMind spin-out)
- Why It Matters: SoftBank co-led with Thrive Capital. Part of a biotech AI thesis betting on early-stage, science-based disruption.
4. CoreWeave
- Round: $1.5B IPO (Mar 2025)
- Valuation: Public
- Sector: AI Cloud Infrastructure
- What They Do: Provider of GPU compute for AI developers
- Why It Matters: Pre-IPO backer. SoftBank’s bet here aligns with its broader AI infra and picks-and-shovels approach.
5. Zhipu AI (China)
- Round: $137M (2025)
- Sector: Chinese LLMs / Foundation Models
- What They Do: Developer of large language models tailored for Chinese language and enterprise use
- Why It Matters: SoftBank is one of few Western-aligned firms active in Chinese AI; this represents global hedging and market capture.
6. Lila Sciences
- Round: $200M Seed (Mar 2025)
- Sector: Scientific AI / Autonomous Research
- What They Do: AI-powered R&D lab building tools for experimental automation
- Why It Matters: Backed by Flagship and SoftBank — aligned with the thesis that AI will accelerate hard science and lab work.
7. Ampere Computing
- Deal: $6.5B acquisition (expected late 2025)
- Sector: AI Chips / Data Center Processors
- Why It Matters: Strengthens SoftBank’s hardware backbone for AI—critical to full-stack AI control.
📈 Signals & SoftBank’s Strategy
- Mega-bets & scale optics: $40B fund into OpenAI; $500B global infrastructure commitment.
- Build-out of full-stack AI exposure: From semiconductors (Ampere) to infrastructure (Stargate) to models (OpenAI) to industry applications (XtalPi, Skild).
- Robotics revival: Robotics + AI models—Skild AI represents next frontier in general-purpose automation.
- Domain diversification: Healthcare (XtalPi), media (OpusClip), infrastructure—SoftBank isn’t putting all chips in one basket.
- Geopolitical scale: Stargate infrastructure tied to US investment and jobs—SoftBank is positioning globally.
Related Investor Trackers
- a16z AI Portfolio: Startups Backed by Andreessen Horowitz
- nventures-portfolio-ai-startups-backed-by-nvidia
Subscribe for AI Investor Intel:
Get weekly updates on the top funding rounds, investor trends, and AI startup signals:
