SoftBank Group

SoftBank Group is a multinational telecommunications and internet corporation based in Japan. It operates through four segments: mobile communications, Sprint, fixed-line telecommunications, and internet. The company provides a wide range of services, including mobile and fixed-line voice and data transmission services, broadband services, internet advertising, e-commerce, and digital television. SoftBank Group also invests in various technologies through its venture capital arms, such as SoftBank Investment Advisers and SoftBank Vision Fund, focusing on areas like artificial intelligence, robotics, and the Internet of Things. One of its notable subsidiaries, SoftBank Robotics, designs and manufactures humanoid robots for various applications, including education, healthcare, and business.

Karim Abouzahr

Director, SoftBank Europe Ventures

Kristin Bannon

Investment Director, SoftBank Investment Advisers

Jonathan Bullock

COO and Managing Director

John Cassidy

Investment Director, Life Sciences and HealthTech

Tom Cheung

Partner, Americas

Serena Dayal

Partner, Americas

Angela Du

Partner, Americas

Colin Fan

Managing Partner, SoftBank Investment Advisers

Ted Fike

Director, Americas

Ronald Fisher

Vice Chairman

Navneet Govil

Managing Partner, CFO

Ayush Jain

Investment Vice President

Lydia Jett

Partner

Sumer Juneja

Managing Partner and Head of EMEA and India Investing

Robert Kaplan

Partner, Americas

Chris Lee

Partner, Asia

Anna Lo

Director, Americas

Amit Lubovsky

Director, Americas

Jimi Macdonald

Director

Kentaro Matsui

Managing Partner

Ken Miyauchi

Representative Director and Senior Executive Vice President

Greg Moon

Executive Managing Partner

Karol Niewiadomski

Partner

Shu Nyatta

Managing Partner

Max Ohrstrand

Partner, EMEA

Vikas Parekh

Managing Partner, Americas

Ben Parton

Director of Deals and Transactions

Yanni Pipilis

Managing Partner

Narendra Rathi

Director, Asia

Brett Rochkind

Managing Partner

Masayoshi Son

Founder

Ram Trichur

Partner

Ervin Tu

Partner, Americas

Aaron Wong

Vice President

Kenichi Yoshida

Chief Business Officer and Executive Vice President

Linda Yu

Vice President, Vision Fund

Andrew Zloto

Partner, Americas

Tim Yap

Director, EMEA

Past deals in Wireless

1NCE

Venture Round in 2025
1NCE GmbH is a provider of Internet data connectivity services, specializing in narrowband and low bandwidth connections tailored for business-to-business applications in the Internet of Things (IoT) sector. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Cologne, Germany, the company offers a unique IoT Flat Rate service that ensures global connectivity for a one-time fee, allowing users to manage IoT devices affordably over a ten-year period. This innovative pricing model supports various applications, including smart utilities, asset tracking, and vehicle telematics. 1NCE's offerings include multimode-support SIM cards that facilitate reliable mobile communication across different technologies, ensuring extensive network coverage in 140 countries. With a growing workforce of around 200 staff across multiple international locations, 1NCE aims to make IoT applications scalable and accessible for businesses worldwide.

1NCE

Venture Round in 2022
1NCE GmbH is a provider of Internet data connectivity services, specializing in narrowband and low bandwidth connections tailored for business-to-business applications in the Internet of Things (IoT) sector. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Cologne, Germany, the company offers a unique IoT Flat Rate service that ensures global connectivity for a one-time fee, allowing users to manage IoT devices affordably over a ten-year period. This innovative pricing model supports various applications, including smart utilities, asset tracking, and vehicle telematics. 1NCE's offerings include multimode-support SIM cards that facilitate reliable mobile communication across different technologies, ensuring extensive network coverage in 140 countries. With a growing workforce of around 200 staff across multiple international locations, 1NCE aims to make IoT applications scalable and accessible for businesses worldwide.

Eigencomm

Series C in 2022
Eigencomm Ltd. is a Shanghai-based company established in 2017 that specializes in the research, development, and sales of cellular network internet chips. The company focuses on creating turnkey solutions for Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystems, particularly in the realm of smart home appliances. Eigencomm offers standard NB-IoT terminal chips that ensure comprehensive cellular data connectivity and extended standby durations, positioning itself as a key player in the cellular IoT market.

Plume Design

Series F in 2021
Plume Design, Inc. is a technology company that specializes in adaptive home Wi-Fi solutions and the manufacture of Wi-Fi devices. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Plume provides a software-as-a-service platform designed for communications service providers. This platform facilitates the delivery of enhanced services for connected homes, including features such as optimal Wi-Fi performance, parental controls, and motion sensing capabilities. Plume's mobile application allows users to customize and manage their Wi-Fi networks, including controlling device access and managing passwords. The company's focus is on enhancing the smart home experience while supporting service providers with backend applications.

1NCE

Funding Round in 2021
1NCE GmbH is a provider of Internet data connectivity services, specializing in narrowband and low bandwidth connections tailored for business-to-business applications in the Internet of Things (IoT) sector. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Cologne, Germany, the company offers a unique IoT Flat Rate service that ensures global connectivity for a one-time fee, allowing users to manage IoT devices affordably over a ten-year period. This innovative pricing model supports various applications, including smart utilities, asset tracking, and vehicle telematics. 1NCE's offerings include multimode-support SIM cards that facilitate reliable mobile communication across different technologies, ensuring extensive network coverage in 140 countries. With a growing workforce of around 200 staff across multiple international locations, 1NCE aims to make IoT applications scalable and accessible for businesses worldwide.

Airspan Networks

Post in 2021
Airspan Networks Inc. is a global provider of 4G broadband wireless systems and solutions, headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida. Founded in 1992, the company specializes in delivering high-speed data, voice, and multimedia services across various vertical markets, including smart utilities, transportation, and public safety. Airspan's product portfolio encompasses a range of technologies operating in licensed and unlicensed frequency bands from 700MHz to 6GHz. Their offerings include advanced small cells, pico base stations, and a virtual RAN platform, enabling seamless integration of LTE, WiMAX, Wi-Fi, and VoIP technologies. Airspan's solutions are designed to bridge connectivity gaps and enhance user experiences, with deployments in over 100 countries and a diverse customer base that includes Internet service providers and telecommunications carriers. The company also provides essential services such as network installation, integration, and support to facilitate the effective operation of its systems.

Wiliot

Series C in 2021
Wiliot Ltd. is a semiconductor company founded in 2017 and headquartered in San Diego, California. The company specializes in developing wireless chipsets that enhance connectivity and intelligence for everyday products and packaging, effectively integrating them into the Internet of Things. Wiliot's innovative platform combines cloud services with self-powered IoT stickers, which harness radiofrequency energy to operate. This technology allows clients, including major brands in the food and pharmaceutical sectors, to gain insights into their products' locations, usage patterns, and replenishment needs. By transforming how products are made, distributed, sold, used, and recycled, Wiliot is at the forefront of redefining product connectivity and management.

Fitbit

Series D in 2013
Fitbit is a company focused on promoting healthier lifestyles through its digital health and fitness devices. It develops the Fitbit Tracker, a compact wireless wearable sensor that automatically monitors various aspects of a user's activities, including calories burned, sleep quality, steps taken, and distance traveled. This device continuously collects data while worn throughout the day, which is then wirelessly uploaded to a dedicated website. Users can access their information to track progress toward personal health goals, engage with a motivational interface, and share achievements with friends, family, and co-workers. Additionally, the platform allows users to manually log nutrition, weight, and other health metrics, providing a comprehensive overview of their well-being. By automating health data collection and offering an engaging user experience, Fitbit aims to simplify the journey toward a healthier lifestyle.

Sprint

Acquisition in 2012
Sprint Corporation was an American telecommunications company that provided a wide range of wireless and wireline communications services to consumers, businesses, and government entities. It was known for its innovative technologies, which included two wireless networks that served nearly 49 million customers at the end of the second quarter of 2009. Sprint offered industry-leading mobile data services, instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities, and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. On April 1, 2020, Sprint merged with T-Mobile US, marking a significant consolidation in the telecommunications industry.

Soma Networks

Series E in 2008
SOMA Networks was the first broadband wireless access company to offer fully converged, all-IP solutions for world-class service providers. SOMA’s FlexMAX Mobile WiMAX System and SoftAir Multimedia Application System provide standards-based, leading-edge technology that enables service providers to: Differentiate themselves with simultaneous multi-megabit and multimedia services Drive revenue using value-added applications to increase average revenue per user (ARPU) Deliver wireline performance over a broadband wireless infrastructure. Revenue-quality voice over IP (VoIP) with fax support, broadband data and video applications are key components of SOMA solutions, as are the company’s award-winning macro base stations and subscriber gateways. SOMA’s all-IP architecture also makes it easy for service providers to integrate their offerings with other IP-based application servers that streamline billing and provisioning. SOMA is a principal member of the WiMAX Forum, and its FlexMAX Mobile WiMAX System supports the 802.16e-2005 Mobile WiMAX standard. With a strong partner ecosystem and world-class investors, SOMA Networks leads the industry in technology, performance, applications and value. Founded in 1999, SOMA Networks is privately held. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in Delhi, Ottawa, Singapore and Toronto.

Harmonix Corp

Venture Round in 2000
HXI was founded as Harmonix Corporation in 1992. The company was originally located in Woburn, Massachusetts and was a pioneer in the development of short-range, high data rate, wireless communication links for densely populated areas, such as Tokyo, where connection to fiber was not readily available or too expensive to be considered. The solution was a 100 Mbps, 60 GHz radio link that could easily be deployed on rooftops, behind windows, etc. Financial backing came from Omron Corporation and SoftBank, both Japanese companies, and the capability to develop and manufacture the radio link was built up around the founders. Engineers, technicians and assemblers came from companies such as Lockheed Sanders (now BAE Systems), Textron, Alpha Industries, M/A-COM and Millitech to form the core millimeter wave group that is still in place today. Radio link deployments were originally in Japan and expanded to the U.S. when regulations were established. In October 2000, Harmonix became the first company to obtain certification for a radio product under the FCC regulations for the newly established 57 - 64 GHz band. A complementary Components and Sub-systems business, servicing government contractors, subcontractors, government entities and educational institutions, was a natural extension of the radio business, as the technology already existed within the company. The HXI brand name was established around this time and was used for both businesses.

Terabeam

Series C in 2000
Terabeam is an American company that designs and manufactures free-space optical transceivers for internet access in downtown areas. Terabeam was founded in 1997 and is located in Kirkland, Washington. As of August 29, 2008, the company operates as subsidiary of Renaissance Electronics & Communications LLC.
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