Investment and Valuation - SoftBank is negotiating a $500 million investment in Skild AI at a $4 billion valuation [1] - Skild AI raised $300 million at a $1.5 billion valuation in its previous funding round in July 2023 [1] - Physical Intelligence raised $400 million at a $2 billion pre-money valuation in November [3] - Figure AI raised $675 million at a $2.6 billion valuation in February [3] Company and Technology - Skild AI is developing a foundational AI model for robotics that can be applied to various types of robots and modified for specific domains and use cases [2] - Physical Intelligence is developing "brains" for a broad range of robots [3] - Figure AI is building an AI-powered humanoid robot [3] Industry Trends - The intersection of robotics and AI has attracted substantial investor interest [2] - Investors, particularly Jeff Bezos, have increased funding to AI-powered robotics companies over the past year [2][3]

Funding and Valuation - TravelPerk raised $200 million in a funding round, valuing the company at $2.7 billion, doubling its market value from January 2024 when it was valued at $1.4 billion [2] - The funding round included participation from investors such as Atomico, EQT, and Noteus Partners [2] - The company previously raised $104 million in January 2024 and an additional $135 million in debt financing later in the year [6][7] Growth and Expansion - The fresh funding will be used to accelerate growth, fuel expansion in the US market, and invest in product, technology, and artificial intelligence [1] - TravelPerk acquired Yokoy, a Swiss spend management platform, to expand into financial services and create a more unified travel and expenses platform [1] - The company also acquired AmTrav, a Chicago-based corporate travel booking software firm, to further its expansion in the US market [6][7] Market and Revenue - TravelPerk's revenue has grown to around five times its pre-COVID levels after a rapid decline in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic [3] - The global value of corporate travel reached $1.5 trillion in the past year, up 6% compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019 [5] - The US and European corporate travel market is estimated at $200 billion, with about half of it being unmanaged and fragmented [7][8] Strategic Focus - TravelPerk is focused on addressing the complexities of corporate travel, which is a significant area of spending for businesses [4][5] - The company has a long-term view and is not rushing for an IPO, prioritizing customer satisfaction and sustainable growth [8][9] Investor Perspective - Investors are drawn to TravelPerk's growth story, particularly its recovery and expansion post-COVID [3][4] - The corporate travel market is seen as a growing and enduring sector, with significant potential for innovation and consolidation [5][7]

In Brief We may now know roughly how much money SoftBank and OpenAI are contributing toward Stargate, the massive infrastructure project to build data centers for OpenAI across the U.S. SoftBank and OpenAI each plans to commit $19 billion of capital to Stargate, according to The Information. The two companies would then both own 40% of the joint venture. Stargate, which also has buy-in from Middle East AI fund MGX, plans to funnel upwards of $500 billion into data centers to support OpenAI’s AI workloads. ...

Core Insights - The Trump Administration has launched an AI infrastructure joint venture named "Stargate," involving OpenAI, SoftBank, Oracle, and Abu Dhabi's MGX, with an initial investment of $100 billion and potential total funding of up to $500 billion over four years [1][2]. Group 1: Joint Venture Structure - The joint venture will have SoftBank responsible for financial aspects, OpenAI for operational responsibilities, and Masayoshi Son of SoftBank serving as Chairman [2]. - Initial data center developments are planned in Abilene, Texas, with an expansion to twenty centers anticipated [2]. Group 2: Investment and Job Creation - SoftBank's commitment includes a $100 billion investment in the U.S. over four years, aiming to create 100,000 jobs focused on AI and related infrastructure [2][3]. Group 3: Technology Partnerships - Key technology partners in the venture include Arm Holdings, Microsoft, Nvidia, Oracle, and OpenAI, with a focus on AI, semiconductors, and data centers [3][4]. - The partnership aims to leverage Arm's IP for developing multi-access edge computing technology for AI over 5G, starting in Japan [4]. Group 4: Future Potential and Strategic Importance - The project is seen as a "mega-project" that could incorporate IoT capabilities and AI-enhanced processes, highlighting the strategic importance of SoftBank's assets and tech investment management [5][6].

Group 1 - The core announcement involves SoftBank's commitment to invest $100 billion in projects located in the United States over the next four years, which is expected to create 100,000 jobs [1] - SoftBank's CEO, Masayoshi Son, is known for making bold investment choices, and the current market conditions and enthusiasm for AI have increased the value of SoftBank's assets [5] - The investment will focus on building AI infrastructure, although the specifics of the spending remain unclear [7] Group 2 - SoftBank holds approximately 90% of semiconductor design company Arm, positioning it favorably for expanding AI applications, as most mobile devices use processors based on Arm architecture [3] - Son believes that AI intelligence will surpass human intelligence within the next decade and will impact various industries including transportation, pharmaceuticals, finance, manufacturing, and logistics [6] - The nature of job creation from AI infrastructure remains uncertain, as high-energy data processing centers may require fewer employees once established [7] Group 3 - As of March this year, SoftBank employed 65,352 people [4] - Japanese government officials have praised Son's plan, viewing it as a goodwill gesture amid concerns about potential tariff increases on imports from Japan [8]

参考消息网12月17日报道 据西班牙《阿贝赛报》网站12月16日报道，人们强烈感受到了"唐纳德·特朗普 时代"的回归：这位美国候任总统在他位于佛罗里达州的私人宅邸海湖庄园发表了关于经济问题的声 明，并举行了一场冗长的记者会。 报道称，这是特朗普自赢得大选以来首次回答记者提问。 这位亿万富翁流露出自信和乐观。 他说："在我的第一个总统任期内，所有人都对我充满敌意。 而现在，人们都想和我好好相处。 "他指的是许多政界人士、领导人和商界领袖纷纷前往海湖庄园拜会他的情况。 特朗普此番出现在海湖庄园的原因与一位商界领袖的来访有关。 他就是备受争议的日本科技投资巨头软银公司首席执行官孙正义。 孙正义与特朗普关系非常密切。 他前往这位候任总统的西班牙风格宅邸，并宣布在未来四年特朗普的第二个任期内，将在美国投资1000 亿美元。 孙正义表示，这一投资将为美国创造10万个就业岗位。 报道提到，随后特朗普在记者面前重点谈到了经济问题，这是他在选举中获胜的关键点之一。 他对进口商品普遍加征关税的意图没有丝毫缓和的迹象。 他说，"关税将使这个国家变得富裕"，"关税是字典里最美的词汇"。 与此同时，一些经济学家的分析警告说，这可能会加 ...

Group 1 - The core point of the article is that SoftBank's subsidiary PayPay is integrating its internet bank, PayPay Bank, into its operations [1] - SoftBank is restructuring its financial services around PayPay to create synergies with its core telecommunications business [2]

About this content About Emily Jarvie Emily began her career as a political journalist for Australian Community Media in Hobart, Tasmania. After she relocated to Toronto, Canada, she reported on business, legal, and scientific developments in the emerging psychedelics sector before joining Proactive in 2022. She brings a strong journalism background with her work featured in newspapers, magazines, and digital publications across Australia, Europe, and North America, including The Examiner, The Advocate, ...

Key TakeawaysSoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son announced a new round of investments into U.S. projects with President-elect Donald Trump on Monday.The CEO said he plans to invest $100 billion in the U.S. by the end of Trump's upcoming term.At the start of Trump's last term, Son promised to invest $50 billion in the U.S., though some investments failed to deliver returns, such as WeWork. SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son announced plans to invest $100 billion into U.S. companies during President-elect Donald Trump's upcom ...

President-elect Donald Trump, with SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son at his side, announced on Monday a $100 billion investment in the US over the next four years in what would be a boost to the US economy.Trump said in his joint appearance with Son that the investment would create 100,000 jobs focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and related infrastructure, with the money to be deployed before the end of Trump’s term.Trump said the investment was evidence of “monumental confidence in America’s future.” H ...