Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
SoftBank is planning to launch a blank check acquisition company in the upcoming weeks, according to comments made today at the Milken Virtual Conference by senior SoftBank executive Rajeev Misra.
Details: Axios has learned that Goldman Sachs and Citigroup would manage the IPO process, and that the intention is not to acquire an existing SoftBank portfolio company and bring it public.
The formal sponsor is expected to be SoftBank Investment Advisors, which manages the $100 billion Vision Fund and Vision Fund 2 (unknown size, funded entirely from SoftBank's balance sheet).
- SoftBank Vision Fund invested in such companies as Uber, DoorDash, Slack, WeWork, and TikTok owner ByteDance. It also backed Opendoor, which recently agreed to be acquired by a SPAC.
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