SoftBank Group Corp. plans to expand the Japan investment team for its Vision Fund, adding staff and stepping up deal-making after putting little of its money into its home country in the past.
Founder Masayoshi Son raised about $100 billion (¥11 trillion) for his first Vision Fund and has allocated $51 billion for a second, but he has made most of his investments overseas, particularly in the United States and China. Only two of his investments have been in domestic startups.
That is beginning to change however. The Vision Fund team in Japan, overseen by Kentaro Matsui, is actively hiring to expand beyond its current size of four members. It’s looking to fill positions for analysts, associates and vice presidents, although there is no fixed target for the number of hires in the future, according to a spokesperson for SoftBank Investment Advisers.