TLDRs;
- SoftBank will cut 20% of Vision Fund staff as it pivots from broad startup bets to AI-focused projects.
- The $500 billion Stargate data center project anchors SoftBank’s AI infrastructure ambitions, despite project delays.
- SoftBank is investing heavily across the AI ecosystem, including OpenAI, Intel, Ampere Computing, and Arm Holdings.
- Masayoshi Son’s strategy aims to vertically integrate software, hardware, and infrastructure for long-term AI dominance.
SoftBank Group is once again at the center of global technology headlines as founder Masayoshi Son reorients the company’s Vision Fund toward large-scale artificial intelligence (AI) bets.
In a decisive move, SoftBank is cutting approximately 20% of its Vision Fund staff worldwide, trimming down from its 300-plus headcount to streamline operations and focus on AI infrastructure and chip investments.
This shift represents not only a significant internal restructuring but also a broader strategic pivot for the Japanese conglomerate, which has long been known for spreading its bets across diverse startups. Now, Son appears to be consolidating resources to double down on his conviction that AI will shape the next technological era.
SoftBank narrows Vision Fund focus
The layoffs mark the third round of staff reductions since 2022, underscoring the fund’s gradual evolution away from its earlier high-risk, wide-net investment strategy. Instead, Vision Fund will now concentrate on a narrower but deeper set of projects anchored in AI.
Despite the workforce cuts, the fund recently reported its strongest quarterly performance since mid-2021, fueled by successful positions in Nvidia and Coupang. That momentum has emboldened SoftBank to sharpen its focus on AI as the foundation of future growth.
Stargate project anchors AI strategy
At the heart of SoftBank’s new vision is Stargate, a massive data center initiative valued at an estimated US$500 billion.
Developed in collaboration with OpenAI and Oracle, Stargate aims to create the computational backbone required to power next-generation AI systems.
Though the project has faced delays in both the United States and Japan, SoftBank remains committed to pushing it forward. The endeavor is intended to position the company as a key player not only in AI applications but in the physical infrastructure that sustains them.
Expanding AI and chip investments
SoftBank’s aggressive AI push extends beyond data centers. In recent months, the company announced a US$2 billion equity stake in Intel, alongside a landmark US$40 billion OpenAI funding round, of which SoftBank has pledged to cover US$22.5 billion by the end of 2025.
The firm also bolstered its semiconductor exposure by acquiring US chip designer Ampere Computing for US$6.5 billion and British AI chipmaker Graphcore in 2024. Its majority ownership of Arm Holdings, valued at US$54.5 billion when it went public in 2023, provides additional leverage in the global chip race.
Workforce cuts mark major transition
While layoffs may signal uncertainty to some, SoftBank frames them as part of a broader reorganization to align its human capital with its AI-centric future. The reduction is expected to streamline decision-making and reallocate resources toward high-priority projects.
For Masayoshi Son, this is more than a restructuring, it is a gamble on the defining technology of the decade. By reshaping Vision Fund around AI, Son is betting that the convergence of chips, infrastructure, and intelligent systems will deliver outsized returns and establish SoftBank as a global leader in the AI economy.
