Foundation: 1981
Headquarters: Minato Ward, Tokyo
Founder and CEO: Masayoshi Son
Executive Summary: SoftBank was founded in 1981 by Masayoshi Son, initially as a computer parts store. After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, Son returned to Japan with around US$2 million from his ventures in patenting an electronic translator and importing Japanese arcade games. He utilized this capital to start SoftBank as a PC software distributor, securing exclusive deals with companies like Hudson Software, Personal Media, and Milky Way, and becoming the primary supplier for Joshin Denki, Japan’s largest PC specialist store at the time. This led to broader retail partnerships.
Just six months after its founding, SoftBank entered the publishing industry with the launch of magazines like “Oh! PC” and “Oh! MZ.” Initially unprofitable, these publications turned around after Son revamped their format, leading to high demand and a circulation of 140,000 for “Oh! PC” by 1989. The company was renamed SoftBank Corporation in 1990 and went public in 1994 with a valuation of US$3 billion. It made significant acquisitions, including Ziff Davis Media and a controlling stake in Yahoo! Japan, which it co-founded. By the decade’s end, SoftBank divested Ziff Davis and took Yahoo! Japan public.
In 2001, SoftBank expanded into broadband with Yahoo! BB, offering faster internet at lower costs. The new millennium also saw SoftBank’s entry into the mobile phone market by acquiring Vodafone for over US$15 billion. Initially struggling, SoftBank’s mobile division turned around with an exclusive deal to sell iPhones in Japan from 2008 to 2011, securing a loyal Apple customer base. The iPad’s launch in 2010 further bolstered its success. SoftBank made Japan’s largest foreign acquisition by buying 78% of Sprint Nextel Corporation, now owning 84% of Sprint.
SoftBank diversified into sports by purchasing and renaming the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. It also ventured into renewable energy through SB Energy Corporation. In 2015, the company rebranded to SoftBank Group. More recently, SoftBank has focused on robotics, developing Pepper, which can recognize human faces and emotions, and acquiring Boston Dynamics. Additionally, SoftBank established the SoftBank Vision Fund to invest in startups, particularly those in AI. SoftBank’s annual revenue is in the range of US$85 billion.
