SoftBank Group’s Vision Fund 2 is investing in US artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI at a $3 billion (¥481.4 billion) valuation, Masayoshi Son’s latest bet on a sector he considers crucial to securing his legacy.
SoftBank will invest between $10 million and $20 million in the company, which aims to use AI to compete with Alphabet’s Google search, according to people familiar with the matter. It is investing as part of a larger $250 million funding round that will triple Perplexity’s valuation and make it one of the most valued companies in the industry.
The deal underscores how SoftBank is preparing to greatly accelerate the pace of AI investments. The billionaire founder last week laid out a sweeping vision for the future of AI, including a commitment to realizing what he called “artificial superintelligence.” Son talked about creating AI that is thousands of times smarter than any human, and made his grandest statements since SoftBank withdrew from the market after a series of ill-timed startup bets.
