Core Insights - SoftBank Group is undergoing a significant transformation, focusing on a major shift towards artificial intelligence investments led by founder Masayoshi Son [2] - The Vision Fund is laying off nearly 20% of its global team, which currently exceeds 300 employees, marking the third round of layoffs since 2022 [2] - This restructuring comes after the fund reported its best quarterly performance since June 2021, driven by gains from Nvidia and Coupang [2] Group 1 - The layoffs are not due to financial losses but rather a strategic pivot to concentrate resources on AI initiatives, particularly the ambitious $500 billion "Stargate" project in collaboration with OpenAI [2] - The remaining team members will focus on high-stakes AI projects, indicating a departure from the previous broad investment strategy [2] - A spokesperson for the Vision Fund confirmed the layoffs, emphasizing the need to optimize organizational structure for long-term strategic execution in AI and disruptive technologies [2] Group 2 - Over the past year, SoftBank has invested $9.7 billion in OpenAI through its second Vision Fund, which currently manages approximately $65.8 billion in assets [3] - SoftBank is building a comprehensive ecosystem centered around Arm, acquiring companies like Graphcore and Ampere Computing, and investing in Intel and Nvidia to establish a closed-loop system from chips to data centers to models [3] - Despite the ambitious strategy, there are risks involved, as recent reports indicate delays in the Stargate project and the joint venture with OpenAI in Japan [3] - SoftBank's CFO stated that the company holds ¥4 trillion (approximately $27 billion) in cash, indicating a secure financial position [3]

Core Viewpoint - SoftBank's Vision Fund is set to lay off nearly 20% of its workforce, marking the largest layoffs in venture capital history, as it shifts its investment focus towards artificial intelligence [1][2]. Group 1: Layoff Details - The Vision Fund, established in 2017, has a current scale of $157.3 billion, including its first and second funds and a Latin America fund [3]. - The fund peaked at 474 employees in March 2020 but has since reduced its workforce to over 300, with the latest layoffs occurring despite strong financial performance [3]. - In Q1 of FY2025-2026, the fund reported net revenue of 1.82 trillion yen, a 7% year-on-year increase, and a net profit of 421.82 billion yen, reversing previous losses [3]. Group 2: Strategic Shift to AI - The layoffs and shift towards AI investments indicate a move away from a previously diversified investment strategy to a more concentrated approach focused on high-risk, high-reward opportunities [5]. - SoftBank has been intensively investing in capital-intensive AI projects, including a $9.7 billion investment in OpenAI and acquisitions of top AI chip companies [6][7]. - CEO Masayoshi Son emphasized the importance of achieving Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) and outlined four key areas of focus: AI chips, AI robots, AI data centers, and energy [6]. Group 3: Financial Position and Future Plans - SoftBank's substantial cash reserves, amounting to 4 trillion yen (approximately $27 billion), provide a strong foundation for aggressive investments in AI [7]. - The company has recently liquidated $4.8 billion from selling shares in T-Mobile to enhance liquidity for future investments [7]. - Despite the ambitious ASI strategy, progress on the U.S. Stargate project with OpenAI has been slower than expected, indicating potential challenges ahead [7].

Core Viewpoint - SoftBank's Vision Fund is set to lay off nearly 20% of its workforce, marking the largest layoffs in venture capital history, as it shifts its investment focus towards artificial intelligence [1][2]. Group 1: Layoff Details - The Vision Fund, established in 2017, has a current scale of $157.3 billion, including its first and second funds and a Latin American fund [2]. - The fund peaked at 474 employees in March 2020 but has since reduced its workforce to over 300 employees [2]. - The layoffs occur despite strong performance, with the fund reporting a net revenue of 1.82 trillion yen for Q1 FY2025-2026, a 7% year-on-year increase, and a net profit of 421.82 billion yen, surpassing market expectations [2]. Group 2: Strategic Shift - The layoffs are part of a broader strategy to focus on bold investments in AI and breakthrough technologies, as stated by a Vision Fund spokesperson [3]. - The fund will continue to invest, with remaining employees directed towards ambitious projects like the $500 billion Stargate initiative in collaboration with OpenAI and Oracle [3]. Group 3: AI Investment Focus - The shift towards AI marks a departure from previous diversified investment strategies, aligning with SoftBank's recent capital-intensive investments in AI infrastructure and models [4]. - SoftBank has invested $9.7 billion in OpenAI and is pursuing a capital-intensive infrastructure strategy centered around its chip designer Arm, acquiring several AI chip companies [4]. - As of March 2023, SoftBank's investments in Nvidia and TSMC have increased to approximately $3 billion and $330 million, respectively [4]. Group 4: Financial Position - SoftBank's CEO Masayoshi Son emphasizes the importance of achieving Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) and has outlined four key areas of focus: AI chips, AI robots, AI data centers, and energy [5]. - The company has a strong cash reserve of 4 trillion yen (approximately $27 billion), bolstered by the sale of T-Mobile shares, providing a solid foundation for aggressive investments in AI [5][6]. - The CFO stated that SoftBank's balance sheet supports its aggressive investments in AI, including a $30 billion investment in OpenAI and participation in the $500 billion Stargate project [6].

Core Insights - SoftBank's joint venture with OpenAI, SB OpenAI Japan, is significantly delayed, with an expected update by November [1] - OpenAI is experiencing financial difficulties, struggling to meet a $300 million agreement with Oracle, raising concerns about its future [2] Financial Performance - SoftBank reported first-quarter net sales of 1.82 trillion yen ($12.54 billion), an increase from 1.70 trillion yen ($11.71 billion) a year earlier [3] - SoftBank's net income surged to 421.8 billion yen ($2.91 billion), recovering from a loss of 174.3 billion yen a year prior, with investment gains of 486.9 billion yen ($3.35 billion) primarily from Nvidia [5] Business Developments - SoftBank is making aggressive investments in AI, including a $40 billion round into OpenAI and a $6.5 billion acquisition of Ampere Computing [6] - The Vision Fund achieved a profit of 660.2 billion yen ($4.55 billion), significantly up from 32.4 billion yen a year ago, driven by rising share prices in companies like Coupang and Symbotic [5]

Tech Sector Developments - OpenAI is planning a $100 billion investment to build backup servers, referred to as the "Stargate" project, aimed at enhancing AI infrastructure with millions of specialized server chips, potentially involving Microsoft [2][8] - SoftBank Vision Fund is restructuring and cutting 20% of its global workforce, affecting approximately 50 to 60 employees, as it shifts focus towards high-stakes AI investments despite reporting its strongest quarterly performance since mid-2021 [3][8] - Google is appealing a court ruling that found it illegally monopolized parts of the online advertising technology market, while also advocating for reforms in the patent system to maintain its leadership in AI [4][8] Market Performance - U.S. stock markets opened higher, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 101.07 points (0.22%) at 46,243.49, the S&P 500 up 19.12 points (0.29%) at 6,651.08, and the Nasdaq Composite up 92.67 points (0.41%) at 22,563.40 [5][8] Global Economic Insights - Italy's Economy Minister expressed concerns about a strong Euro being a burden on EU exports and indicated that the government would carefully assess any EU proposal to utilize frozen Russian assets, considering legal limits [6][8] Corporate News - Johnson & Johnson received a favorable evaluation for its drug Nipocalimab from a European regulatory body, marking a significant step forward for the treatment of generalized myasthenia gravis [9]

Group 1: IIT Placements - The placement season at Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) has commenced with strong recruiter interest, particularly from trading firms like Jane Street and Millennium Management [1][3][16] - IIT Kharagpur and IIT BHU anticipate surpassing last year's placement offers, with IIT BHU expecting to exceed 1,405 offers [5][16] - IITs are enhancing their appeal to recruiters by showcasing cutting-edge research and providing training in soft skills and leadership [6][16] Group 2: SoftBank Vision Fund - SoftBank's Vision Fund is laying off 20% of its global staff as part of a strategic shift towards artificial intelligence investments, particularly the $500 billion Stargate project with OpenAI [8][16] - The Vision Fund has seen its third round of layoffs since 2022, despite reporting a net profit of $2.87 billion in Q1, its best performance since mid-2021 [8][16] - Over the past year, SoftBank has invested $9.7 billion in OpenAI and acquired stakes in Nvidia and Intel to bolster its AI ecosystem [8][16] Group 3: Pepperfry Acquisition - Realty services firm TCC Concept has signed a term sheet to acquire up to 100% of Pepperfry, although the deal value and closure timeline remain undisclosed [9][16] - The acquisition aims to enhance TCC's presence in e-commerce and digital marketplaces, while Pepperfry seeks a new direction after years of declining growth and a failed IPO attempt [9][10][16] - Pepperfry's FY24 operating revenue fell by 30.6% to ₹188.9 crore, but losses decreased by 37.4% to ₹117.4 crore [10][16] Group 4: Digital Payments for Russian Tourists - Sberbank has partnered with Indian digital payments app Cheq to enable QR-code-based UPI payments for Russian tourists in India, circumventing Visa and Mastercard networks [11][16] - This initiative allows foreign tourists without Indian bank accounts to utilize UPI, enhancing payment accessibility in India [11][16] Group 5: Digital Personal Data Privacy (DPDP) Act - India is set to finalize the rules for the Digital Personal Data Privacy (DPDP) Act by September 28, 2025, after a decade of development [14][16] - The DPDP Act aims to establish a legal framework for processing personal data, focusing on privacy and the handling of children's data [15][16]

Group 1 - SoftBank Group is set to lay off nearly 20% of its Vision Fund team globally, marking a significant downsizing in the venture capital industry [1][3] - The Vision Fund currently employs over 300 people, meaning that more than 60 employees will be affected by this decision [3] - The layoffs are part of a strategic restructuring aimed at focusing on investments in artificial intelligence (AI) and breakthrough technologies [3][4] Group 2 - Despite reporting its best performance in four years a month prior, SoftBank's CEO Masayoshi Son announced the layoffs, reflecting a shift in focus towards AI [3][7] - Son has emphasized the importance of AI, stating that the future will redefine various aspects of life and work, with a goal for SoftBank to become the leading provider of Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) [3][4] - The Vision Fund has made significant investments in AI, including a $9.7 billion investment in OpenAI, with an additional $30 billion expected to be raised by December [4][5] Group 3 - The Vision Fund has shown signs of recovery, reporting a substantial increase in investment returns, with a profit of 726.84 billion yen in Q1 of FY2025-2026, compared to only 1.91 billion yen in the same period last year [7] - The investment strategy has shifted from a broad approach to a more focused one, concentrating on high-potential areas such as AI [8][9] - The venture capital landscape is evolving, with a growing emphasis on technology-driven investments and a move away from the previous scattergun investment strategy [8][9]

这 一 幕 还 是 来 了 。 收 缩 。 作者 I 周佳丽 余梦莹 报道 I 投资界PEdaily 路透社报道，软银集团将在全球范围内裁掉其愿景基金团队近2 0%的员工，创下风投史上 又一次大规模裁员纪录。 随后愿景基金发言人证实了裁员消息：" 我们不断调整组织结构，以最好地执行我们的长 期战略。 "留下的员工将继续为愿景基金进行新的投资——他们将更加聚焦孙正义雄心勃 勃的AI事业。 然而打了一个翻身仗，孙正义却宣布愿景基金要裁员。路透社援引知情人士报道，软银集 团将在全球范围内裁掉其愿景基金团队近20%的员工。目前愿景基金在全球拥有300多名 员工，这意味着有超6 0名员工将离开这里。 愿景基金发言人证实裁员消息，并在一份声明中表示：" 我们不断调整组织结构，以最好 地执行我们的长期战略——对人工智能和突破性技术进行大胆、坚定的投资，并为我们的 利益相关者创造长期价值 。 " 说起来，这并不突然。 过去很长一段时间里，孙正义大开大合的激进风格让LP心情复杂。亏损反复之间，软银 也总是战略性地频繁调整业务重心，"每次，我们都面临批评，称方向不明确，或被认为 可能很快倒闭。"在202 5财年的软银年度报告中， ...

Group 1 - The Vision Fund, a subsidiary of SoftBank Group, is considering cutting up to 20% of its workforce, indicating a strategic shift towards bold investments in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector [1][2] - As of March 31, the Vision Fund had approximately 282 employees, and the layoffs could affect over 50 positions [1] - This move continues a trend of downsizing at the Vision Fund, which has seen its importance diminish as Masayoshi Son focuses on AI projects, including a planned $30 billion investment in OpenAI and a $6.5 billion acquisition of Ampere Computing [1] Group 2 - A spokesperson for the Vision Fund confirmed that the layoff plan is in progress, emphasizing the need to adjust the organizational structure to execute long-term strategies in AI and breakthrough technologies [2] - To support large-scale AI investments, the Vision Fund has been divesting core assets and no longer requires a large investment advisory team for new and existing projects [2] - The Vision Fund, established in 2017 with over $100 billion in capital, peaked at 474 employees by March 2020, but has since reduced its workforce by approximately 40% [2]

The Vision Fund of SoftBank Group Corp is laying off 20 per cent of its workers amid founder Masayoshi Son’s attempt to shift focus to artificial intelligence, multiple reports said on Friday.According to the report by Bloomberg quoting sources, the Vision Fund unit of SoftBank is likely to let go of over 50 employees as part of the job cut. As of end of March this year, Vision Fund employed about 282 people.The Vision Fund layoffs is part of years of cutbacks as the unit lost its importance as compared to ...