SoftBank: ¥60 Billion in New Bonds After Early-Year Deals

SoftBank Group Corp. is about to launch a new bond issue, aiming to raise around ¥60 billion, which currently translates to about $369 million. These notes won't be for the general public, but for institutional investors in Japan, the ones with deeper pockets, if you catch my drift. SoftBank Group Corp. plans to sell approximately ¥60 billion ($369 million) of notes to institutional investors in Japan this month.

It seems the Japanese giant has an insatiable thirst for capital. After all, funding AI dreams and futuristic startups costs a pretty penny, and a huge one at that. SoftBank has already shown it can move big figures, like when it raised ¥500 billion (about $3.2 billion) through retail bonds in February.

The truth is, SoftBank has a vast and quite ambitious investment portfolio, especially in the artificial intelligence sector. To support these projects, rivers of fresh cash are needed. This new move is part of a broader fundraising strategy, a bit like a bottomless pit, but for startups.

This year, before these institutional bonds, SoftBank had already successfully placed domestic retail bonds and others in foreign currency. SoftBank had earlier this year completed domestic retail and foreign-currency bond offerings. It's like filling up a car's tank one piece at a time, but with staggering figures. Who wouldn't want such a "generous" friend when it comes to loans?