SoftBank’s AI Portfolio: Startups Backed by the Vision Fund (2026 Tracker)
This tracker highlights SoftBank’s Vision Fund's biggest investments in foundation models, robotics, and deep tech AI companies.
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.
| Company / Asset | Sector | Latest Deal | Amount | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAI | Foundation Models / GenAI | Private Follow-on | Up to $40B | 2025 | Largest private tech investment; SoftBank’s flagship AI conviction |
| Stargate (JV) | AI Infrastructure / Data Centers | Joint Venture | $100B → $500B | 2025–2029 | Massive U.S.-based AI compute and data center buildout |
| SB Energy | AI Infrastructure / Energy | Strategic Partnership | $1B | 2026 | Energy backbone for next-generation AI data centers |
| Ampere Computing | AI Chips / Data Center CPUs | Acquisition | $6.5B | 2025 | Vertical integration into AI compute hardware stack |
| Skild AI | Robotics / Foundation Models | Strategic Investment (Talks) | ~$4B valuation | 2025 | General-purpose robot intelligence (“robot brains”) |
| XtalPi | Biopharma AI | Growth Investment | Undisclosed | — | AI-driven drug and materials discovery |
| Isomorphic Labs | AI Drug Discovery | Series A | $600M | 2025 | DeepMind spin-out focused on protein folding and therapeutics |
| Lila Sciences | Scientific AI / Autonomous R&D | Seed | $200M | 2025 | AI-native lab automation and scientific discovery |
| CoreWeave | AI Cloud Infrastructure | Pre-IPO / IPO | $1.5B (IPO) | 2025 | GPU compute backbone for AI workloads |
| Zhipu AI | Foundation Models (China) | Private Round | $137M | 2025 | Strategic exposure to Chinese LLM ecosystem |
| Sierra | AI Agents / Enterprise Automation | Expansion Investment | Undisclosed | 2025 | Vision Fund 2 backing with international expansion focus |
| OpusClip | Generative AI / Video | Vision Fund 2 Investment | Undisclosed | 2024–2025 | AI-powered short-form video creation tools |
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.
📈 SoftBank’s Strategy Signals
- Mega-bets & scale optics: $40B into OpenAI and up to $500B in AI infrastructure reflects belief in winner-take-most AI markets.
- Build-out of full-stack AI exposure: From semiconductors (Ampere) to infrastructure (Stargate) to models (OpenAI) to industry applications (XtalPi, Skild).
- Capital-intensive moat building: SoftBank leans into areas where scale, not iteration speed, determines winners.
- Robotics revival: Skild AI signals a renewed push into general-purpose robotics powered by foundation models.
- Domain diversification: Healthcare (XtalPi), media (OpusClip), infrastructure.
- Global hedging: Exposure to U.S., China, and frontier science reflects SoftBank’s geopolitical diversification strategy.
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