- Japan’s SoftBank Group, along with conglomerates from South Korea and Thailand, will participate in a fund designed to make swift and substantial investments in AI startups.
- Asian conglomerates are joining forces to address the rising demand for rapid capital injections.
OUR TAKE
The significant interest and investment in AI startups, as evidenced by this new fund, underscore the growing recognition of AI’s transformative potential. As AI technologies advance and become more integral to various industries, substantial funding will be crucial to support innovation and development. This move addresses the high capital needs of AI startups and indicates a trend towards collaborative innovation between established companies and emerging tech firms.
-Tacy Ding, BTW reporter
What happened
SoftBank, SK Networks (a subsidiary of SK Group), LG Electronics, Hanwha Financial, and a Thai conglomerate have recently signed an agreement to join a $130 million fund established by the founders of the venture capital firm The Edgeof. The deal is expected to be finalised by the end of this month, according to a source familiar with the matter.
“The aim of the fund is for investors to quickly realise collaborations with startups for their AI-based applications,” the person said.
The fund will use resources from the former SoftBank Ventures Asia (SBVA), which managed $2 billion in assets. SBVA was acquired by The Edgeof, co-founded by Taizo Son, the younger brother of SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, in 2023. Taizo Son and two other founders will be general partners.
The fund is negotiating with more companies in East and Southeast Asia and aims to reach around $200 million by year-end. It will focus on mid-stage startups in AI and advanced technologies like quantum computing, targeting sectors such as healthcare, robotics, and SaaS.
Also read: SoftBank abandons AI chips partnership plan with Intel
Also read: AI startups ramp up lobbying efforts to shape future policy
Why it’s important
This move comes as venture capital funds struggle to keep pace with the rapid growth of startups utilising generative AI, which enables them to scale their services much faster than traditional constraints, such as staff size, would allow. Simultaneously, the investment required for AI startups to remain competitive has surged dramatically.
Taizo Son remarked in a previous interview with Nikkei that it is “structurally difficult” for venture capitalists to meet such aggressive investment demands. In recent weeks, global tech stocks have faced a sell-off as investors grow concerned that returns on AI investments might take longer than anticipated to materialise. While the new fund aims to attract Silicon Valley companies as well, its primary focus will be on startups planning to operate in Asia.
According to data from the U.S. research firm CB Insights, as of July 2024, there were only 53 unicorns—privately held startups valued at $1 billion or more—across ASEAN, South Korea, and Japan combined. In comparison, the U.S. has 670 unicorns.
