February 28, 2026 – OpenAI made a blockbuster announcement yesterday, revealing a massive new funding round worth 110billion,withasignificant30 billion contribution from SoftBank. The Japanese conglomerate has also provided a detailed breakdown of its investment strategy in a press release.
SoftBank plans to channel its investment into OpenAI through its Vision Fund II. The funds will be disbursed in three equal installments of $10 billion each on April 1, July 1, and October 1 of this year, according to Japan’s local time. Initially, the capital is expected to be sourced from bridge loans provided by major financial institutions and other financing arrangements, with plans to gradually replace these with SoftBank’s existing assets and additional financing measures.
When combined with its previous investment of 34.6billion,SoftBank′stotalcommitmenttoOpenAIwillreach34.6 billion, giving it an approximate 13% stake in the AI powerhouse.
Masayoshi Son, Chairman and CEO of SoftBank, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “Artificial intelligence is transforming the world at an unprecedented pace. OpenAI stands out as the clear leader, boasting world-class technology and an unparalleled global user base. We are highly confident in its continued growth. This additional investment will enable us to accelerate OpenAI’s research and ecosystem expansion while advancing our own ASI (Advanced Super Intelligence) strategy.”
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, also commented on the partnership, saying, “We are constantly pushing the boundaries of AI infrastructure, research, and product development. SoftBank is the ideal long-term partner to help maximize the benefits of artificial intelligence for humanity on a global scale.”
