Softbank Vision Fund

When SoftBank launched its Vision Fund from its London headquarters in 2017, the venture capital world paused, stunned. Here was an investor whose war chest—initially close to $100 billion—dwarfed entire sectors of the VC market. Led by Masayoshi Son, the charismatic SoftBank founder with a taste for bold predictions and even bolder bets, the Vision Fund quickly became synonymous with mega-rounds and outsized ambition.

SoftBank’s approach has been distinctive from the outset: it doesn't simply invest; it floods the zone. Deals regularly involve nine-figure checks, and at its peak, the Vision Fund seemed intent on backing startups that could dominate entire industries. This has led them into headline-grabbing investments in companies like Uber, WeWork, and DoorDash—brands that have come to define the highs (and, in some cases, the perils) of Silicon Valley hypergrowth.

For UK founders, SoftBank represents both opportunity and aspiration. Despite its Japanese roots, the Vision Fund’s global operations are firmly anchored in London, and British tech startups have benefited from its generous funding style. UK fintech stars like Revolut and OakNorth have each raised hundreds of millions from SoftBank. Rishi Khosla, CEO of OakNorth, highlighted the fund's knack for aligning itself with founders who share its expansive worldview, noting, "SoftBank always has a very large vision for businesses they get involved in." For those chasing aggressive global ambitions, SoftBank remains the gold standard—albeit one that’s highly selective.

Yet, while tempting, early-stage founders must be clear-eyed: SoftBank is typically not your seed-round investor. Its funds usually enter at later stages, once a startup is demonstrably scaling. Historically focused on growth-stage firms, SoftBank has occasionally ventured earlier through its Vision Fund II, but even then, usually no earlier than Series B rounds. Its capital is a rocket booster, not a runway extension, and it expects companies to expand aggressively, leveraging its vast global network of portfolio businesses and strategic connections.

Working with SoftBank brings enormous resources, but it demands equally grand ambitions. The fund’s reputation for patience and founder-friendly terms coexists with an implicit expectation that entrepreneurs will pursue market dominance with intensity. Founders backed by SoftBank often speak positively of the experience, citing a rare alignment in thinking big—but this comes with pressure to deliver rapid growth and significant returns.

For most UK founders, the SoftBank Vision Fund is unlikely to be on their target list when seeking early stage investments - but for highly ambitious growth stage startups, it could be a transformative partner that takes their vision to the world stage.