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SoftBank News: Latest Releases & Events

SoftBank committed $87.3 billion to AI data centers in France in May 2026, targeting 5 gigawatts with EDF and Schneider Electric. In April it put $30 billion into OpenAI's $122 billion round at an $852 billion valuation. In February it joined OpenAI's $110 billion deal and co-led a $1.2 billion round in Wayve.

All 5 SoftBank entries of the AI News timeline, newest first.

2026

May 2026

2026-05-31

  • SoftBank Commits $87.3B to France AI Data Center Buildout
    SoftBank announced plans to invest $87.3 billion in AI infrastructure in France, targeting 5 gigawatts of data center capacity across the Hauts-de-France region, with an initial $53 billion over five years to deliver 3.1 GW by 2031. The investment, SoftBank's largest AI infrastructure commitment in Europe, will involve partnerships with EDF and Schneider Electric and span data centers in Loon-Plage, Bosquel, and Bouchain. (aibusiness.com)

April 2026

2026-04-01

  • OpenAI Valued at $852B After $122B Funding Round
    OpenAI closed its largest funding round to date, raising $122 billion at an $852 billion valuation, with major investments from Amazon ($50B), Nvidia ($30B), and SoftBank ($30B) leading the round. The company reported $2.6 billion in monthly revenue, 900 million ChatGPT weekly active users, and signaled plans for a potential IPO later this year. (aibusiness.com)
    OpenAI Amazon Nvidia

March 2026

2026-03-31

  • Oracle lays off thousands to fund AI infrastructure buildout
    Oracle laid off thousands of employees across sales, engineering, and security departments as it redirects spending toward massive AI datacenter infrastructure projects, including the $500 billion Stargate partnership with OpenAI and SoftBank. Reports suggest the cuts could eventually reach 20,000 to 30,000 positions—up to 18% of Oracle's workforce—with one internal metric showing a drop of 10,000 Slack users overnight. (go.theregister.com)
    Oracle OpenAI

February 2026

2026-02-27

  • OpenAI secures $110B Amazon, Nvidia, SoftBank deal
    OpenAI announced a $110 billion funding round with Amazon, Nvidia, and SoftBank at a $730 billion valuation, though the investments from Amazon and Nvidia are largely structured as compute infrastructure commitments. This strategic agreement secures gigawatts of capacity for Amazon Trainium and Nvidia Vera Rubin systems while SoftBank provides general operational funding. (go.theregister.com)
    OpenAI Amazon Nvidia

2026-02-26

  • Wayve raises $1.2B for self-driving AI
    U.K. autonomous vehicle company Wayve secured $1.2 billion in a Series D funding round led by Eclipse, Balderton, and SoftBank, valuing the company at $8.6 billion. The investment will support the launch of commercial robotaxis in London and the integration of its embodied AI technology into consumer vehicles. (aibusiness.com)
    Wayve