SoftBank Group has executed a $10 billion second tranche investment in OpenAI, bringing the Japanese investment group another step closer to completing its previously announced $30 billion fo
SoftBank Group has executed a $10 billion second tranche investment in OpenAI, bringing the Japanese investment group another step closer to completing its previously announced $30 billion follow-on commitment to the AI company.
SummaryAccording to a July 1 announcement from SoftBank, the investment was made through SoftBank Vision Fund 2 and formed part of the total $30 billion follow-on investments in OpenAI Group PBC announced on February 27. The company said the latest tranche amounted to $10 billion, or about JPY 1.63 trillion, based on an exchange rate of 162.73 yen per dollar.
According to SoftBank, the company plans to complete the third tranche of another $10 billion on October 1, 2026, Japan time. The filing added that the closing date could be accelerated if OpenAI Group PBC shares are publicly listed before then.
SoftBank also said it borrowed $10 billion on July 1 under a bridge facility agreement signed on March 27 to fund the latest investment, which goes to show how the company is using debt financing to support one of its largest artificial intelligence bets.
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The latest funding comes after SoftBank shares recently came under pressure because of investor concerns over OpenAI’s public listing timeline. crypto.news has previously covered that SoftBank shares fell more than 12% in Tokyo after OpenAI executives were said to be considering whether to delay a planned initial public offering until 2027 to preserve a potential valuation of up to $1 trillion.
Reports at the time said OpenAI had confidentially filed a draft registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, but the company had not made a final decision on the timing of an IPO. OpenAI also said it could remain private for longer, according to those reports.
Because SoftBank has continued to expand its financial commitment to OpenAI, investors have increasingly viewed the Japanese group as a public-market proxy for OpenAI’s future value. A delayed listing would not change SoftBank’s ownership in the company, but earlier reports noted that it would postpone a market-based valuation of the stake and delay any chance to monetize part of the investment.
The July 1 announcement adds new detail to SoftBank’s earlier OpenAI investment plan. A February report from The Wall Street Journal said SoftBank was discussing an additional investment of up to $30 billion in OpenAI as part of a larger funding round that could value the AI company at nearly $830 billion.
The report also said SoftBank’s earlier commitment had already made OpenAI a central part of Masayoshi Son’s AI strategy.
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