Friday, March 29, 2024 | Ramadan 18, 1445 H
clear sky
weather
OMAN
25°C / 25°C
EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Softbank scales back WeWork investment to $2 bn

1100914
1100914
minus
plus


New York: Japanese technology giant SoftBank has invested $2 billion in shared-office provider WeWork, considerably less than the US start-up was hoping for to fund its expansion.


WeWork boss Adam Neumann had earlier spoken of some $20 billion in investment but SoftBank tycoon Masayoshi Son appeared to scale back his ambition following a difficult few weeks for the Japanese firm, including a disappointing IPO for its mobile wing.


The $2 billion cash injection brings to a total of $6 billion the amount ploughed in by the Japanese firm and values WeWork at $47 billion, almost as much as General Motors and more than Ford.


In a statement, WeWork also announced a rebranding exercise, re-naming itself “The We Company.”


Son said WeWork had “already experienced unparalleled growth” and that this cash boost would allow the firm to “aggressively pursue the enormous market opportunity ahead of them”.


The scaling-back in investment underscores dampening enthusiasm for technology shares, which have been hit during a recent decline in global equity markets. — AFP



SHARE ARTICLE
arrow up
home icon