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Sarah McBride
For Sarah McBride's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Funding for AI companies has outpaced every other category of tech.
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 18, 2023
AI funding soars to $17.9 billion while rest of tech slumps
Multibillion-dollar investments in artificial intelligence startups have become almost commonplace in Silicon Valley.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 8, 2023
Sequoia’s split sends warning to every company doing U.S.-China business
While the dramatic separation may insulate Sequoia from pending regulation, it’s a signal that ties to China are a growing liability in Silicon Valley.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 1, 2023
Biotechnology startup Colossal Biosciences wants to bring back the dodo
The billion-dollar startup has added the famous bird to its de-extinction agenda, alongside the woolly mammoth.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 17, 2022
Elon Musk's boring company is feuding with Texas over a driveway
Since Boring Co. bought land last May to create a research and development center in a rural area outside Austin, Texas, the company has skirted requests for proper permits.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 15, 2022
Silicon Valley tries to disentangle itself from Russian money
In recent weeks, global businesses have rushed to cease operations in Russia. But for venture firms that have accepted funds from Russian investors, cutting ties is a thornier imperative.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
Mar 5, 2022
Video game addiction, now a globally recognized illness, seeks a treatment
The World Health Organization formally acknowledged the condition for the first time this year, kicking off a race to offer remedies.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 21, 2021
WeWork is finally going public. Will SoftBank ever make its $17 billion back?
WeWork would need to capture a large portion of the post-pandemic workforce and hope that flexible offices take the place of many corporate campuses.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 7, 2021
SoftBank fund invests $50 million in Black and Hispanic-led startups
The firm created its Opportunity Fund barely a week after the murder of George Floyd last year.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 7, 2021
SoftBank in talks to invest in Televisa-Univision venture
Televisa, Mexico's top broadcaster, and Univision are discussing a deal to combine some content assets of the two Spanish-language broadcasters that could be valued at about $4 billion.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 4, 2020
SoftBank reportedly considering bid for TikTok in India
TikTok is considering selling its operations in several countries after governments shut out the app, citing fears that user data was passing into the hands of China.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 14, 2020
SoftBank exploring sale or IPO of chip company Arm, sources say
If it pursues a listing, the chip-design company could go public as soon as next year, accelerating a timeline laid out by SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son in 2018.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 19, 2020
SoftBank to invest in 14 startups run by minority founders
Companies will receive at least u00a516 million through an accelerator, with further capital available from a u00a510.6 billion fund for founders of color.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 30, 2020
WeWork’s imperiled $3 billion stock sale would mostly benefit five investors
In a deal that’s currently at risk of falling apart, a handful of investors would be the main beneficiaries of SoftBank Group Corp.’s plan to buy $3 billion of WeWork stock, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 10, 2019
SoftBank is pushing WeWork to postpone its contentious IPO
Executives of WeWork and its largest investor, SoftBank, are discussing whether to shelve plans for an initial public offering of the money-losing co-working company, according to sources with knowledge of the talks.

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores