The 20-75M Softbank Vision Fund has made its first investment in Permutive, an audience platform for advertisers and publishers. The company’s mission is to create a privacy-first infrastructure for programmatic advertising. It has already raised $105M from previous investors. The funds will be used to expand its on-device technology and build out a global privacy-first programmatic advertising infrastructure. Programmatic advertising is a $155B industry.
WeWork investment
SoftBank has invested in WeWork, which is a coworking space that leases out space for individuals and companies. The company has 160 locations worldwide. Those who use its space pay a monthly fee for services like conference rooms and mail handling. The company expects to make $1 billion in revenue this year. It counts Benchmark, JPMorgan Chase, and Goldman Sachs as investors.
SoftBank is known for its savvy investments, such as its bet on Alibaba. However, the company has had a mixed history. In addition to a massive loss on Uber, it has received criticism for its corporate governance practices and financial hits. SoftBank may still have a good track record in tech, but the company is no longer a “sure bet” for many investors.
WeWork is expanding in Asia with an investment from the SoftBank Vision Fund. The investment from SoftBank will be part of a larger funding round that is expected to total $3 billion. The Vision Fund is spearheaded by SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son. WeWork provides workspace for a variety of different users to collaborate and share resources.
Compass investment
Compass has received a $450 million investment from the SoftBank Vision Fund, a $93 billion venture vehicle led by the Japanese conglomerate. Other investors include the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund and Goldman Sachs. The firm’s current team includes former American Express CEO Ken Chenault, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, and major property developer The LeFrak Organization. The LeFrak Organization is run by billionaire Richard LeFrak. Compass’s founder Justin Wilson worked as the chief of staff at Goldman Sachs before moving on to join SoftBank. He was also a partner at the Vision Fund when it made its first investment in the startup.
Compass has raised a total of $775 million from investors including Fidelity and SoftBank Vision Fund. With the money, the company hopes to expand its real estate platform across the world. The company is now valued at $2.2 billion post-money. The investors are confident in its ability to scale and monetize its platform.
Compass’s recent investment by SoftBank represents the largest investment in real estate technology in the United States. The company will use the capital to expand its platform to every major city and increase its investment in technology. The company offers technology to real estate agents to reduce the friction associated with real estate transactions.
The SoftBank Vision Fund is an enormous $100 billion investment fund. Its partners include Apple, Qualcomm, Foxconn, and the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund. Its investments include Uber, WeWork, MapBox, Slack, and Compass. The Vision Fund is investing in both startups and established companies, including those that are already profitable.
Permutive investment in crypto assets
Permutive is a publisher-focused data management platform with offices in New York City and London. Its technology is currently used on over one billion devices each month and aims to improve privacy and trust in programmatic advertising. The company has raised $105 million in funding to date and plans to use the funds to build its on-device technology and create a global privacy-first infrastructure for programmatic advertising. Founded in 2015, Permutive is currently working with some of the biggest names in the world, including BuzzFeed, Penske, The Financial Times, The Guardian, Business Insider, Daily Telegraph, Bell Media, News UK, and more. The company also plans to expand its concept internationally.
Permutive’s mission to rebuild data in programmatic advertising
Permutive is a data management platform for publishers that is built on edge computing. It allows publishers to develop cohorts and plan targeted advertising while keeping data private. Permutive’s platform is built on edge computing, which means data processing is done on the device of the user, which increases privacy. The platform also enables publishers to activate their audience at scale and speed.
Permutive’s technology works on over a billion devices around the world every month and protects consumer privacy while improving transparency and efficiency in programmatic advertising. The company has built a strong client list of leading publishers in North America and Europe. The funding is a significant step in the company’s mission to rebuild data in programmatic ad spending.
WeWork’s investment by SoftBank
WeWork’s investment by SoftBank Vision funds was seen as a potentially huge risk given that the company has struggled to stay profitable and maintain a high valuation. However, it’s important to note that the investment is part of a larger funding round that could end up totaling $3 billion. The Vision Fund is spearheaded by SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son, and is a $100 billion investment vehicle.
SoftBank is known for investing in companies in the sharing economy, such as WeWork, a company that offers flexible workspaces for freelancers and startups. Its business model revolves around rent arbitrage: by renting out space to freelancers and startups, WeWork can maximize its revenues. However, this type of model is a bit risky during recessions.
SoftBank Vision Fund is not the only investment fund that SoftBank has made in recent years. It also invested in Alibaba and Didi, both of which are Chinese ride-hailing companies. Both companies are heavily investing in AI and electrifying their fleet. These investments by SoftBank are likely to lead to even greater leverage within the group.
Wag had been seeking $75 million in funding, but the Vision Fund persuaded it to accept $300 million in January. It believed the money would help it dominate the on-demand pet services industry, and even beat rival Rover, which had raised $100 million. It also planned to expand internationally and enter related pet services, like walking dogs.
Conclusion
The company recently announced the completion of a $18.5 million Series B funding round, led by Octopus Ventures. Previous investors also participated in the funding round. This funding round will enable Permutive to accelerate its global expansion and scale its Audience Platform. In addition, it will enable the company to build a privacy-first global infrastructure for programmatic advertising.