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SoftBank and OpenAI Announce AI Joint Venture in Japan

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SoftBank Group has partnered with OpenAI to establish a joint venture in Japan, aimed at delivering artificial intelligence services to corporate clients. The venture, named SB OpenAI Japan, will be co-owned by OpenAI and a company created by SoftBank, alongside its domestic telecom arm. This collaboration signifies SoftBank’s deepening relationship with OpenAI, as the Japanese conglomerate commits to investing $3 billion annually to integrate OpenAI’s technology across its global operations.

SoftBank’s CEO Masayoshi Son announced the deal on Monday, further signaling his interest in increasing his exposure to OpenAI, which aligns with SoftBank’s broader investment strategy. In addition to this venture, SoftBank is considering investing between $15 billion and $25 billion in OpenAI, as well as committing another $15 billion to Stargate, a joint AI project between OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle.

The launch of Stargate last month marked a notable moment for Son, who was seen with former U.S. President Donald Trump, highlighting his continued presence in high-profile international business dealings. However, concerns have emerged with the rise of China’s DeepSeek, a company whose AI model is seen as a potential competitor to U.S. giants, adding uncertainty to the massive financial investments being funneled into the AI sector.

Despite these concerns, OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman emphasized the increasing global demand for computational power, noting that “the world is going to just need so much compute.” The joint venture with SoftBank represents a strategic push to expand AI services and capabilities in Japan, an important move as AI technology continues to shape the future of global business.

 

Japan PM to Meet OpenAI and SoftBank CEOs Amid AI Investment Talks

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Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is set to meet with Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, and Masayoshi Son, CEO of SoftBank Group, on Monday, as announced by the Japanese government. The meeting is expected to center on artificial intelligence (AI) developments and investment opportunities.

This comes shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle will form a joint venture aimed at investing up to $500 billion to develop AI infrastructure. The move highlights the growing global importance of AI, with Japan seeking to bolster its position in the sector by engaging with key players like OpenAI and SoftBank.

 

SoftBank in Talks to Lead OpenAI Funding Round at $300 Billion Valuation

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SoftBank Group is in negotiations to lead a funding round for OpenAI, which could raise up to $40 billion, placing the artificial intelligence developer’s valuation at $300 billion, according to sources familiar with the matter. This potential round, which could set a record for a private company’s single funding round, is in the wake of growing competition from Chinese startup DeepSeek. DeepSeek’s new, affordable AI model has disrupted expectations about the costs of developing and deploying AI.

As part of the funding, SoftBank has valued OpenAI at $260 billion, a significant increase from its valuation of $150 billion just a few months ago. This funding is expected to be in the form of convertible notes, and similar to OpenAI’s previous round, it is contingent upon restructuring the company to remove control from its non-profit arm.

Leading the round would be a bold move for SoftBank, which has roughly $30 billion in cash to invest. While neither SoftBank nor OpenAI has commented on the discussions, it is believed that SoftBank could contribute between $15 billion and $25 billion directly into OpenAI. This money may also go towards OpenAI’s commitment to Stargate, a joint venture with Oracle and SoftBank aimed at helping the U.S. maintain a competitive edge in the global AI race, with plans for up to $500 billion in investments.

Despite the funding talks, DeepSeek’s low-cost AI model has raised concerns within the AI sector. The startup, using Nvidia H800 chips, developed its DeepSeek-V3 model for less than $6 million, spurring questions about whether OpenAI and other labs can retain their dominance as competition intensifies from more affordable alternatives.