Q&A
People are fundamentally similar and consistent regardless of cultural background. While each market has distinct characteristics, if a concept is proving successful in one place, there’s a good chance it will work elsewhere.
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How did you find your way to SBIA?
Back in 2019, I was working in investment banking in New York and was focused mostly on U.S. companies. But the exciting technological developments coming out of China at the time piqued my curiosity, and I wanted to explore that market more closely. Vision Fund 1 had just launched, and SoftBank was building a world-class team in China. Its ambition, scale, and global impact made it a perfect fit, and I jumped at the chance to join as one of its first hires.
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What sectors are you most focused on?
My current main focus is AI applications, looking at products built on AI models for both consumers and enterprises. With the maturing of AI models, there’s enormous opportunity on the application layer to better assist personal and enterprise use cases.
While most of my investments have been in this space, I've also become interested in the data infrastructure layer, another fundamental building block for AI applications.
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How has your experience in both the U.S. and Chinese markets influenced your approach to investment?
I’ve had the unique opportunity to observe how trends develop in both the East and West and to see how these markets often validate each other. People are fundamentally similar and consistent regardless of cultural background. While each market has distinct characteristics, if a concept is proving successful in one place, there’s a good chance it will work elsewhere.
This is a big part of our investment philosophy, what Masayoshi Son calls the “Time Machine” theory. Our global footprint and ecosystem give us an edge in staying informed of both technology innovation and business models across markets.
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What are the qualities in a founder that you look for?
First, I look for humility. Founders should be proud of the work they’ve achieved, but also open to advice and willing to make changes as the market evolves. We invest in promising companies, but things don’t always go to plan. It’s critical that a team can overcome those inevitable challenges and navigate through difficult moments.
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What’s something people would be interested to know about you outside of work?
I played a lot of strategy games in my earlier years, and I found out later that these games have helped me sharpen my negotiation skills in professional settings. It’s great training for thinking strategically under pressure.
