SoftBank plans AI tour for founders to boost technology adoption

SoftBank Group Corp. will take a group of its Indian startup founders to Silicon Valley next month for an artificial intelligence tour as the Japanese investor steps up efforts to infuse its portfolio companies with the technology.

The investor is helping portfolio companies adopt AI and has been setting up meetings for the founders it backs with the leading players in the field, said Sumer Juneja, managing partner overseeing Europe, Middle East, Africa and India investments at SoftBank’s Vision Fund, in an interview in Mumbai. SoftBank expects to take many of the 20 founders from its India companies on the tour, he said, without naming specific names. Its portfolio in the country includes Oyo Hotels, ride-hailing provider Ola and delivery firm Swiggy.