NEWS
SoftBank Group to acquire DigitalBridge for US $ 4 billion to scale next-gen AI infrastructure
SoftBank Group has confirmed the completion of an additional
$ 22.5 billion investment in OpenAI, formally concluding the second closing of its previously announced commitment of up to $ 40 billion unveiled in March 2025.
The confirmation marks a major milestone in the financing plan, following an initial closing in April 2025 in which SoftBank invested $ 7.5 billion through SoftBank Vision Fund 2. The second closing, also executed via Vision Fund 2, brings SoftBank’ s total capital deployed to $ 30.0 billion, completing its pledged contribution in full.
Alongside SoftBank’ s investment, third-party co-investors provided an oversubscribed and upsized $ 11.0 billion, lifting total aggregate funding to approximately $ 41 billion. The strong participation from external investors highlights continued global appetite for exposure to frontier artificial intelligence platforms at scale.
Following completion of the transaction, SoftBank’ s aggregate ownership interest in OpenAI stands at roughly 11 percent. The investment reinforces SoftBank’ s long-held view that artificial intelligence represents a foundational technology capable of reshaping productivity, industry structures, and long-term economic growth across markets.
Masayoshi Son, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of SoftBank Group, said the company is deeply aligned with OpenAI’ s mission to ensure artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity, emphasizing responsible development alongside ambitious innovation.
OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman added that SoftBank’ s early conviction, global reach, and financial scale will help accelerate the development, deployment, and governance of advanced AI systems worldwide, supporting safe adoption across enterprises, governments, and society. The deal further strengthens strategic partnerships shaping future innovation ecosystems globally at unprecedented scale worldwide.
ICD provides $ 10 million Line of Financing to Anor Bank to boost SME and Islamic Finance Growth in Uzbekistan
Anor Bank, a leading digital bank in Uzbekistan, has signed a landmark Line of Financing agreement with the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector( ICD), securing a $ US 10 million facility dedicated to SME financing.
This pioneering transaction marks ICD’ s first-ever Line of Finance extended to Anor Bank, positioning the partnership as a strategic cornerstone for accelerating private sector growth and expanding access to Shariah-compliant financial solutions in Uzbekistan. The facility is designed to empower SMEs, enhance financial inclusion and support sustainable economic development across the country.
The financing aligns closely with Anor Bank’ s strategic mission to strengthen SME development, diversify financing options for the private sector, and promote Islamic finance as a viable and inclusive alternative within Uzbekistan’ s evolving financial ecosystem. By channelling capital to productive enterprises, the initiative is expected to stimulate job creation, innovation, and long-term economic resilience.
From ICD’ s perspective, the agreement reflects its core mandate to foster private sector-led growth and support SMEs as critical engines of economic progress in its member countries. The collaboration underscores ICD’ s continued commitment to delivering impactful financial solutions tailored to local market needs.
The agreement was formally signed by Dr. Khalid Khalafallah, Acting Chief Executive Officer, ICD, and Sherzod Akramov, Chairman of the Management Board of Anor Bank.
Described as a milestone, the transaction is pitched as paves the way for deeper cooperation, future investment opportunities and a new era of partnership focused on sustainable private sector development in Uzbekistan.•
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