SoftBank Seeks $2 Billion in Overseas Bonds to Fuel AI Investments

SoftBank seeks to sell about $2 billion of bonds amid AI push

SoftBank Group is returning to the overseas bond market for the second time this year amid an aggressive fundraising push for artificial intelligence, led by its bet on OpenAI. The Japanese technology investment giant is looking to raise about $1.5 billion to $2 billion in the dollar debt market, and about €500 million ($580 million) from euro-denominated notes, according to people familiar with the matter. A spokesperson for SoftBank said the bond deal size hasn't been finalized, declining to comment further. With a heavy emphasis on new AI investments, SoftBank's billionaire founder Masayoshi Son has pledged as much as $500 billion for a project known as Stargate and announced a planned $30 billion stake in OpenAI earlier this year. Japanese companies have sold a record amount of overseas bonds this year, topping $100 billion, as they step up acquisitions and higher yen debt yields spurs caution in the local market. SoftBank has raised at least $24 billion in loans and bonds so far in 2025, in one of the biggest-ever funding pushes by the company, compiled data show. During a global investor call Tuesday, SoftBank's management said the firm still plans to complete a $30 billion investment tranche in OpenAI by year-end, without providing a more specific timeline and declining to disclose its current stake in OpenAI, according to people familiar with the matter.

SoftBank seeks $2 bln offshore bond sale amid AI push- Bloomberg By Investing.com

Investing.com-- SoftBank Group Corp. (TYO:9984) is seeking to raise billions through the overseas bond market for the second time this year amid an aggressive push into artificial intelligence, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday. Softbank is seeking to raise between $1.5 billion and $2 billion in the dollar debt market, and about 500 million euros ($580 million) from euro-denominated issuances, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The move will mark Softbank's second foray into overseas debt this year, and like the first, is likely to be directed towards the Japanese conglomerate's aggressive artificial intelligence expansion. At the heart of its efforts is a $40 billion investment in OpenAI, and a $500 billion tie-up with the AI startup to build more data center infrastructure in the United States. The company is reaping some returns on its AI and tech investments, which saw a substantial boost in valuations over the past two years. This helped the company swing to a profit in its fiscal first quarter. Earlier in October, Softbank agreed to buy the robotics business of Swiss engineering group ABB, which it said was to fuse AI and robotics to create tangible AI. Softbank's shares slid 5.2% on Wednesday, facing heavy profit-taking after hitting record highs on Tuesday.