An Unconventional Alliance Forging AI Innovation; SoftBank and OpenAI Joint Venture in Japan

With Sam Altman bringing the brains and Masayoshi Son bringing in billions together, they’re on the way to raising the Tech Industry’s standard bar in Japan. SoftBank’s chairman, Masayoshi Son, and OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, have announced the joint venture to provide AI services for corporate clients in Japan, which is named SB OpenAI Japan. It is a newly created SoftBank entity with its telecom arm in Japan, further cementing Japan’s investments into artificial intelligence. SB OpenAI Japan is jointly owned by OpenAI and a SoftBank-established company.

A Multimillion-dollar Engagement:

SoftBank’s share valuation soared when the firm invested $100 million in Yahoo! and other struggling tech companies. However, the trouble started when Son lost $70 billion out of his $78 billion and 95% of SoftBanks’s stock market value disappeared during the crash of 2000. Son did not give up and invested $30 million in a Chinese company called Alibaba that made the investment reach $130 billion over time. Today, SoftBank’s investments include companies like Uber, Slack, SoFi, DoorDash and its Vision Fund is the largest technology venture in the world.

SoftBank is paying $3 billion every year in using OpenAI technologies in its subsidiaries, marking a deepening interest from Son in AI. Furthermore, SoftBank is looking at investing an additional $15 to $25 billion into OpenAI further to solidify its position within the global AI ecosystem. SoftBank, outside Japan, will also put $15 billion into Stargate, another joint venture with OpenAI and Oracle to build AI infrastructure in the United States. The $500 billion Stargate AI Project, a landmark development for AI and economic growth is a collaborative venture spearheaded by OpenAI, SoftBank, Oracle and MGX and was announced by Trump. Msayoshi Son along with Altman appeared with Trump at the Stargate launch, they plan on investing $100 billion to create thousands of jobs under Trump’s presidency. This marks a wider commitment to the growth of AI beyond Japan.

The rise of the AI competition has not come easy, as the emergence of DeepSeek from China evokes a skepticism revolving around the radical capital invasion into AI technology. Altman did stand his ground, saying, “The world is going to just need so much compute.” With his endorsement of OpenAI, Son has made a comeback to the power circle of investing for the rest of SoftBank’s tech portfolio. He has a long history of partnerships with American tech firms, dating back to 2008, when SoftBank first brought Apple’s iPhone to Japan, transforming the mobile industry in that country.

Political Endorsement:

With a view for enriching their visions, Son and Altman met Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Monday (Feb 3, 2025) which is a sign of government support for AI-led economic transformation. This joint venture by SoftBank and OpenAI aims to launch AI into a new advanced era in the corporate world of Japan. The partnership may flourish in the next realm of business and technological evolution with an increased implementation of AI in the region.

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Fatimah Misbah Hussain

https://www.staging.techi.com/

Fatimah Misbah Hussain is a tech writer at TECHi.com who transforms complex topics into accessible, compelling content for a global audience. She covers emerging trends, offers insightful updates, and explores technology’s evolving impact on society with clarity and depth.

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