SoftBank has injected $457 million into Graphcore, a British AI chip company it acquired in 2024, as part of its ongoing strategy to expand its presence in AI infrastructure and hardware [1]. The funding was confirmed by a Graphcore spokesperson and detailed in a Companies House filing, which showed the issuance of a single share valued at $457 million on April 10, 2026 [1]. According to a person familiar with the arrangements, this injection represents only a portion of the funds Graphcore expects to receive from SoftBank this year [1].
Graphcore, once seen as a potential rival to Nvidia, had raised hundreds of millions of dollars but struggled to achieve commercial success prior to its acquisition by SoftBank [1]. Post-acquisition, SoftBank has announced several significant AI infrastructure investments, including its involvement in the $500 billion Stargate project in partnership with OpenAI and Oracle [1]. The company is also planning to create and list a standalone AI and robotics company in the U.S. as early as this year, according to a Financial Times report from April [1]. Additionally, SoftBank is in discussions regarding a large AI data center project in France, as reported by Bloomberg [1].
Masayoshi Son, SoftBank's founder and CEO, has highlighted Graphcore's deep expertise in chip design, which complements Arm's leadership in semiconductor intellectual property [1]. SoftBank previously acquired a majority stake in Arm in 2016, which was listed on Nasdaq in 2023, and also acquired Ampere Computing in 2025 [1]. In October, Graphcore announced plans to invest up to £1 billion in a new AI campus in Bengaluru, India, with hundreds of roles across AI, silicon, software, and systems engineering [1].
SoftBank's continued investment in AI, including its stake in OpenAI and infrastructure commitments, underscores its aggressive push into the sector. The collaboration between Graphcore and SoftBank is expected to focus on developing artificial general intelligence (AGI), aiming for AI systems that match or surpass human intelligence [1].
CONCLUSION
SoftBank's $457 million injection into Graphcore marks a significant step in its aggressive AI expansion strategy, reinforcing its commitment to AI infrastructure and hardware. The move is expected to bolster Graphcore's capabilities and support SoftBank's broader ambitions in artificial general intelligence and global AI projects. Market sentiment is positive, with high impact anticipated due to the scale of investment and strategic direction.