softbank

Japanese tech giant softbank is set to invest a colossal €75 billion in France for AI data centers, marking its largest European AI infrastructure commitment. This ambitious plan, driven by personal diplomacy with President Macron, aims to deliver 5 gigawatts of computing power, bolstering France's tech ambitions and softbank's global AI expansion.

softbank's Indian investments took a hit in the January-March quarter, with its portfolio losing over $600 million. Major companies like Swiggy and Ola Electric saw value dips, though Lenskart provided a small gain. This comes as many of softbank's recent Indian IPOs face investor concerns about profitability and growth.

Facing growing local opposition to its massive data centers, OpenAI has created a new 'community engagement lead' role. This position aims to foster dialogue and address concerns regarding water usage, electricity costs, and quality of life in areas slated for Stargate project development. The company seeks to build trust and integrate community priorities into its expansion plans.

AI giants OpenAI and Anthropic are intensifying their competition by launching new ventures aimed at boosting enterprise AI adoption. Both companies have secured significant funding from major financial institutions to help businesses integrate their AI tools into daily operations. This strategic move prioritizes real-world usage and revenue growth as both firms reportedly explore public listings.

Google is establishing its first AI campus outside the UK in South Korea by year-end, fostering collaboration with local startups and engineers. This move, following a meeting between Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis and President Lee Jae Myung, aims to bolster Korea's AI ambitions, including its "K-Moonshot" project. The initiative echoes the impact of AlphaGo's historic win a decade ago.

Asian markets showed a mixed performance Tuesday, with Tokyo and Seoul indices climbing on tech strength. Investors are closely watching potential US-Iran peace talks, which are offering some optimism, but geopolitical risks and high oil prices are keeping markets cautious. Developments around the Strait of Hormuz remain a key concern for global oil supply.

In response to feedback from social media, Lenskart is updating its in-store dress code to embrace religious expressions among employees. This decision comes after an internal guideline that mistakenly restricted spiritual symbols, such as tilaks and bindis, faced backlash for promoting discrimination.

Arm CEO Rene Haas is poised for a significant dual role, potentially leading a major part of softbank's international operations. This move aims to accelerate softbank's ambitious AI and semiconductor manufacturing plans, including the 'Project Izanagi' chip strategy. Haas's new position would place him as a key lieutenant to founder Masayoshi Son, focusing on tech infrastructure and AI development.

Tech titans Elon Musk and Sam Altman are set for a courtroom showdown over OpenAI's founding mission. Musk alleges Altman and OpenAI abandoned their nonprofit roots for profit, a claim OpenAI dismisses as a distraction fueled by Musk's rival AI venture, xAI. This high-stakes trial delves into the origins and evolution of AI's most influential companies.

Intel's stock experienced a significant surge, gaining over $100 billion in market capitalization within ten days, driven by a $14.2 billion plant buyback and partnerships with Tesla and Google. Despite this rally, Wall Street remains cautious, with a majority of analysts recommending holding or selling the stock.

An internal memo from OpenAI sheds light on a fraying partnership with Microsoft, the very company that provided its foundation. OpenAI candidly points out Microsoft's constraints in the enterprise sector and cites a landmark $50 billion deal with AWS as pivotal.

AI giant OpenAI has secured a staggering $122 billion in funding, valuing the company at $852 billion. This massive investment, co-led by softbank, underscores OpenAI's pivotal role in the global AI race.

Debris from an aerial interception struck a building in Dubai Marina, authorities confirmed Saturday. No fire or injuries were reported following the incident, which occurred amid ongoing regional conflict. This follows earlier attacks in the UAE, including one at a gas facility and a fire on a Kuwaiti oil tanker.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard has issued a chilling video threat to bomb the massive Stargate AI data center in Abu Dhabi, a $30 billion project backed by US tech giants like Nvidia and OpenAI. This move signals a potential shift towards targeting high-value Western tech assets in the Gulf amidst escalating regional tensions, highlighting the growing vulnerability of digital infrastructure.

softbank is investing a colossal $500 billion into a single AI data center campus in Ohio, potentially the largest construction project in US history. Part of the 'Stargate' venture, this massive facility aims to power millions of homes and is seen as crucial in the AI race with China. Initial costs are estimated between $30-40 billion.

softbank is reportedly seeking a massive $40 billion USD loan, its largest ever, to fuel its substantial $30 billion investment in AI firm OpenAI. This move underscores founder Masayoshi Son's aggressive bet on the company, which now represents a significant portion of softbank's assets alongside its stake in Arm Holdings.

softbank's massive "all-in" bet on OpenAI, backed by aggressive divestments including Nvidia, is reportedly causing significant financial strain. The Japanese tech giant's shares have plummeted, its credit outlook downgraded, and it's seeking bridge loans. This AI investment is also impacting partners like Oracle, whose stock has tumbled amid concerns over data center costs and reliance on OpenAI.

Microsoft is reportedly taking over a data center construction project in Abilene, Texas, previously declined by OpenAI. This move positions both tech giants as neighbors within a significant AI hub. Crusoe, the data center developer, confirmed its partnership with Microsoft for two "AI factory" facilities, which will be larger than OpenAI's adjacent campus.

softbank's Vision Fund reported a $2.4 billion gain in its December quarter, largely driven by an increased valuation of its OpenAI investment. This surge helped offset losses from other holdings, highlighting softbank's significant bet on AI's future. Despite this success, the company remains non-committal on further participation in OpenAI's upcoming funding round.

Nvidia has reportedly sold its entire 1.1 million share stake in Arm Holdings for approximately $140 million. This divestment concludes a complex relationship, following Nvidia's failed $40 billion acquisition attempt of Arm. softbank also recently sold its Nvidia stake to fund a significant investment in OpenAI.

The collapse of softbank Group Corp's deal to sell chip designer Arm to Nvidia marks a major setback to the Japanese conglomerate's efforts to generate funds at time when valuations across its portfolio are under pressure.

softbank's internet subsidiary Z Holdings on Monday outlined plans to invest 500 billion yen ($4.7 billion) in technology over five years with a focus on artificial intelligence.

Telecom giant softbank has pledged an investment of $10 billion (over Rs 60,000 crore) in India's IT and communications space, one of the biggest investment commitments from a Japanese firm after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to that country.

Office-sharing startup WeWork co-founder Adam Neumann has sued Japan's softbank and its Vision Fund for terminating a $3 billion tender offer. The offer was part of a $9.6 billion rescue financing package that softbank is said to have agreed upon in October 2019. Last month, softbank said that it would not press ahead with the tender offer as some pre-conditions have not been met.

softbank Group has inducted Indian-origin Rajeev Misra into its Board of Directors. Misra, who is an alumnus of IIT-Delhi and is currently the CEO of softbank Investment Advisers, has been handpicked by Masayoshi Son, the CEO and Chairman of softbank.

Japanese conglomerate softbank has sold shares worth USD 310 million in omnichannel retailer FirstCry, which is likely to file a draft paper for IPO this week, sources said on Monday. "softbank recently sold shares worth Rs 630 crore in FirstCry. It was picked up by a few high net worth individuals. With this sale, softbank has realised USD 310 million from two rounds of stake sale in FirstCry," a source told PTI.

Chinese billionaire Jack Ma is stepping down from the board of softbank Group Corp., as the Japanese technology company struggles over its risky investments such as office-sharing venture WeWork. Tokyo-based softbank announced Ma's resignation Monday, ahead of releasing financial results. It did not say why he was leaving. softbank announced four new board members.