SoftBank is seeking to raise up to $100 billion from Gulf investors for a new fund that would buy companies and improve their operations using AI and other advanced technologies, according to a Financial Times report cited by Techmeme.
The fund would mark one of the largest private pools of capital aimed at AI-driven acquisitions, and it puts Gulf money at the center of the next wave of tech dealmaking. The reported target has not been confirmed by SoftBank, and no investor names or timelines have been disclosed.
SoftBank's AI acquisition fund: what we know
The Financial Times report, summarized by Techmeme, says SoftBank is pitching Gulf investors on a vehicle that would take over companies and then use AI to rework how they operate. The reported size of up to $100 billion would make it larger than most sovereign-backed tech funds launched in recent years.
SoftBank has not publicly confirmed the raise, the fund's structure or which sectors it would target. That means the $100 billion figure should be treated as a reported target, not a closed deal.
- Reported target: up to $100B raised from Gulf investors
- Source: Financial Times, via Techmeme
- Strategy: acquire companies, then improve operations with AI and advanced tech
- Status: unconfirmed by SoftBank; no named investors or timeline
