Masayoshi Son’s Vision Fund has poured billions into startups around the world, but so far made zero investments in his home country of Japan. SoftBank Group Corp. is now hiring an investment professional whose job would be to change that.
SoftBank Investment Advisers, a unit that operates the Vision Fund, is looking to fill an investment vice president position in Tokyo, according to a job listing posted on LinkedIn. The new person will "research and recommend companies for SoftBank to invest in or acquire in Japan,” it said. A Vision Fund spokesman confirmed that the company is hiring for the role.
Son, who frequently rails against the Japanese government’s cautious approach to ride-hailing and home-sharing, has shied away from big investments in domestic startups. SoftBank’s portfolio covers more than 300 companies spread over three different funds and countries ranging from Indonesia to Brazil. The U.S. accounted for about a third of its total value, while China and the rest of Asia hold nearly half.