Another dog for Softbank as it sells Wag stake back to company December 10, 2019 Japanese investment giant Softbank has been left with its tail between its legs after selling its stake in Wag back to the dog-walking startup, capping off a disappointing year for its $97bn Vision Fund. Softbank has agreed to sell its almost 50 per cent stake in the company and will no longer have representation on [...]
Softbank taps Goldman for Wework debt financing plan December 9, 2019 Wework saviour Softbank has approached Goldman Sachs for financing as it attempts to reinvigorate the flexible working space provider. The banking giant is securing a $1.8bn (£1.4bn) line of credit, the first stage in Softbank’s $5bn debt financing package for Wework. Read more: Wework names four new executives and outlines six point plan for profitability [...]
Wework names four new executives and outlines six-point plan for profitability by 2023 November 23, 2019 Wework has named four men to take on executive roles at the firm and outlined a six-point path to profitability. The office-space operator said it will not be cash flow positive until 2023. Read more: New York State attorney general reportedly investigating Wework Executive chairman Marcelo Claure, told Business Insider the company’s attributes are in real [...]
MUFG likely to deny Softbank loan over Wework bailout November 21, 2019 Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), Japan’s largest bank, is reportedly likely to withhold additional loans from Softbank to finance the conglomerate’s $9.5bn (£7.3bn) rescue package for struggling office space firm Wework. Softbank has asked for around ¥300bn (£2.1bn) additional loans for Japan’s three megabanks – MUFG, Mizuho Financial Group and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group – [...]
New York State Attorney General reportedly investigating Wework November 19, 2019 Embattled office space firm Wework is reportedly being investigated by the New York State Attorney General (NYAG). The issues NYAG is examining include whether Wework founder and former chief executive Adam Neumann indulged in self-dealing to enrich himself, Reuters reported. Read more: Wework losses ballooned to $1.3bn in quarter before failed float The investigation comes [...]
Softbank-backed fintech Oneconnect chooses New York over Hong Kong for IPO November 14, 2019 Oneconnect, the fintech arm of Chinese financial conglomerate Ping An, has chosen New York over Hong Kong for the launch of its initial public offering (IPO). The company, which is backed by Softbank, filed a prospectus for an IPO on Wednesday and plans to list its shares on NASDAQ. Read more: Alibaba poised to launch [...]
Vision Fund’s Wework splurge drags Softbank to $6.4bn loss November 6, 2019 Softbank’s Vision Fund’s soured bets on tech prospects like Uber and Wework saw the fund lose $8.9bn and drag its parent company to its first quarterly loss in 14 years today. Softbank’s high profile splurge on Wework saw the company fall to a $6.4bn quarterly loss in results revealed today. Read more: Wework hits the [...]
Softbank ‘tightening governance’ at firms it backs after Wework’s near collapse November 4, 2019 Softbank is said to be tightening governance at companies it has backed, as the conglomerate tries to limit the control of startup founders and renew confidence in its investments after Wework nearly collapsed. The Japanese company, which has a $97bn investment arm called Vision Fund, will reportedly announce harsher governance standards and restrictions on dual-class [...]
Softbank seeks control of Wework via financing package October 14, 2019 Softbank is reportedly preparing a financing package for Wework that would give it control over the cash-strapped shared office space company. The package would significantly increase the stake of Softbank, which already owns around a third of Wework, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. This would further dilute the influence of Wework co-founder [...]
Softbank executive suggests Wework should stay private until it can ‘demonstrate cash flow’ October 8, 2019 The tech world has been rocked by a string of disappointing or cancelled IPOs this year, as companies failed to convert huge private valuations into success on public exchanges. One Softbank executive has suggested a novel solution: firms should wait until they can demonstrate suitable levels of cash flow before listing publicly. Asked about the [...]