Softbank is a Japanese technology company that primarily invests in companies operating in  technology that offer goods and services to customers. Softbank is planning to invest from $ 75 million  to $150 million per deal in Indian data centers and Robotics startups. The company is eyeing  investments in the Indian AI market to boost AI bets. 

Softbank has already invested $5 billion in various growing sectors such as logistics, robotics, and more as of March 2024. The investment SoftBank is planning may involve a greenfield data center project by  a manufacturing unit or large corporation. According to a report by Moneycontrol, a person close to  developments told them that SoftBank is currently looking at AI cases with large opportunities. The  company is said to be aiming for two sectors in India including industrial robotics and data centers. 

image source: The Japan Times 

Recent investments made by Softbank include a $1 billion investment in Wayve, a self-driving car  startup. Mr. Kendall the owner of Wayve mentioned that the investment from SoftBank helped them  to turn this idea of self-driving cars into marketable products. Green Box, which is a joint company with  a robotics company to open its first automated warehouse in California, also had huge support from  Softbank. Softbank’s India AI investment plan is to make a global shift to AI and chips. SoftBank said  that after slowing speed in investments, they will start being more active, particularly focusing on AI.  In October last year, Softbank’s CEO Masayoshi Son said that he believes Artificial General intelligence with 10 times more intelligence in Humans will be built in the next 10 years. He also mentioned that  in the next 20 years, we can see an Artificial superintelligence that will be 10,000 times more powerful  than human intelligence. 

The company is rumored to resume its investments in Indian startups, with a strategy of $100 million  per round. They will focus on growth-stage investments. According to a Japanese investor, the fair  value of SoftBank India’s investment portfolio across Vision Fund I and II increased 9% as of December and stood at nearly $11 billion. The company aims to scout AI infrastructure startups in India and  highlight a growing global sentiment of looking at India as a tech exporter, rather than just a large market audience. Softbank has previously invested in other Indian startups such as Zomato, Paytm, PB  Fintech, Firstcry, Swiggy, and more, but now they are strictly focusing only on Artificial Intelligence startups. The investor also exited Zomato and Policybazzar last year.

Conclusion: 

Softbank is a Japanese technology company that primarily invests in companies operating in  technology offering goods and services to customers, planning to invest from $ 75 million to $150  million per deal in Indian data centers and Robotics startups. Recent investments made by Softbank  include a $1 billion investment in Wayve, a self-driving car startup. Softbank has already invested $5  billion in various growing sectors such as logistics, robotics, and more as of March 2024. The  investment SoftBank is planning may involve a greenfield data center project by a manufacturing unit  or large corporation. SoftBank is currently looking at AI cases with large opportunities. The company  is said to be aiming for two sectors in India including industrial robotics and data centers.