Meesho, India’s largest reselling website, has negotiated a $250 million funding round led by SoftBank’s Vision Fund, the Economic Times has reported. The round, if completed, will value Meesho at between $1.5bn…
SoftBank Leads $140m Funding in FarmTech Firm Plenty
Californian agricultural startup Plenty has won a $140 million Series D funding round, as it continues to scale out its vertical farming solution. The San Francisco-based company won the injection from Japan’s…
SoftBank Value Plummets on Shaky Tech Deals
Japanese giant SoftBank has seen its share price fall sharply today, due to its exposure to continued US-tech selloffs. The company opened trading on Monday 2.6% down, and ended it with a…
Rajeev Misra, Head of SoftBank Vision Fund, Accused of “Honey Trap” Plot
Rajeev Misra, the head of SoftBank’s Vision Fund, has been accused of a sensational plot to blackmail SoftBank’s then-president in 2015. According to a Wall Street Journal exposé, Misra planned to sabotage…
SoftBank-backed Zume Cuts Staff, as Japan Investor Rolls Back Startup Ambition
Robotic pizzamaker Zume is laying off half its staff and will stop making pizzas, its co-founder and CEO has announced. Alex Garden said the California-headquartered firm will now concentrate on its packaging…
Under the Hood of SoftBank’s $5 Billion Latin American Fund
SoftBank isn’t a company that shies from controversy. Its $9.5 billion rescue deal for WeWork caused major concern—especially given former CEO Adam Neumann’s $1.7bn payout, and operating losses totaling $1.25bn. So shaky…
Just How Disastrous will WeWork’s IPO Be?
WeWork, the global real estate company that has dressed itself as a tech startup, might not be worth $47 billion after all. Actually, it might not even be worth half. The New…
SoftBank Takes Massive Hit on Stock Tumble, and Saudi Khashoggi Outcry
Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp has devalued by as much as $22 billion, on the back of a global tech stock tumble, and ongoing outrage over Saudi Arabia’s alleged slaying of a prominent…
5 Japanese Startups You Should Check Out Now
Japan’s economy stands at a precarious crossroads. Still recovering from the 2008 financial crisis, its central bank refused on Tuesday to print more money – or do anything really – to crawl…
Investment Giants Eye FINO Stake
Japan’s SoftBank Group, alongside Singaporean state investor Temasek and Morgan Stanley, are considering a 33% stake in Indian fintech firm Financial Information and Network Operations (FINO). The deal, through which the trio…