Softbank’s $100 billion vision fund scouting for possible investments in quantum computing domain

Softbank, one of the largest technology investors in the world, has formed a $100 billion vision fund to invest in technology dominated startups for future growth. In line with the company’s strategy, it is scouting for possible investments in quantum computing, an experimental science being researched by companies such as Google and IBM to succeed current computer processor technology. The fund, which has attracted investment from the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, Apple and other large institutional backers, is investing in cutting edge technologies from virtual reality to the Internet of Things. It recently invested $500 million for a minority stake in Improbable, a London-based simulation and virtual reality software startup.

Though D-Wave, a Canadian company, is the only firm to sell quantum computers today, IBM, Google and Rigetti Computing, a San Francisco-based quantum computing startup, have created working machines around one method, while IonQ, a spin-out from the University of Maryland and Duke University, is working on technologies based on another. Microsoft is backing a third architecture, but has yet to create a working machine.

Softbank has invested heavily in India’s startup ecosystem. However, some of the capital has gone bad with the Snapdeal fiasco, and it is trying to save its image by pushing the Snapdeal-Flipkart merger. It has ~33% stake in Snapdeal.