SoftBank plans to float a $ 100 billion Vision Fund



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A handful of executives from SoftBank Group Corp. Asked about the idea of ​​an initial public offering for its Vision Fund Fund, the $ 100 billion giant that has invested in technology companies ranging from small and large. Uber Technologies Inc. at WeWork Cos.

The idea is in its infancy, said a person familiar with the situation, who asked not to be identified because she was private. If pursued, an IPO would give fund investors a way to cash some or all of their holdings. The fund might consider a direct listing rather than a traditional IPO, said the person.

A list of any kind would be unusual for a venture capital company, but the Vision Fund has been operating outside the traditional venture capital parameters since its inception in 2016. It exceeds the size of other funds and invests more broadly than most venture capital funds, including well-established companies. chip maker Nvidia Corp.

The Vision Fund has planned to raise an additional $ 15 billion to continue funding its ambitious investment activities. SoftBank is preparing a second Vision fund and is also launching a Latin American fund in the Vision Fund mold.

A SoftBank representative declined to comment. Discussions on a Vision Fund IPO have already been reported by the Wall Street Journal.

The largest investor in the Vision Fund is the Saudi public investment fund, which was fired last year when the country's crown prince was accused of involvement in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey. Mubadala Investment Co., Abu Dhabi's strategic investment fund, is also among the investors.

The Vision Fund holds a 16.3% stake in Uber, which is expected to appear next week on the New York Stock Exchange. She also owns a stake in Slack Technologies Inc., which, like Uber and WeWork, plans to go public.

SoftBank's general manager, Masayoshi Son, said in an interview last year that he planned to raise $ 100 billion every two or three years to create the Vision Fund's successors. .

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