Latin America and the Caribbean A Platform for Entrepreneurship An Interview with Marcelo Claure, Chief Executive Offi cer, SoftBank Group International and Chief Operating Offi cer, SoftBank Group Corp. EDITORS’ NOTE Marcelo Claure Will you highlight the history and Commercially, we have seen rapid adop- serves as CEO of SoftBank Group heritage of SoftBank and de ne tion of new technologies that would have nor- International and COO of SoftBank the SoftBank culture? mally taken a decade or longer. Our portfolio Group Corp., where he oversees the Since we were founded in 1981, companies have been leading the charge. Rappi company’s strategic direction and SoftBank Group has invested ahead of revamped its app to better support custom- its portfolio of operating compa- the major technological trends shap- ers and advance the digitalization of everyday nies, including WeWork, SB Energy, ing our lives – from the birth of the life, from food to grocery to fi nancial services. Fortress, Boston Dynamics, as well PC, to the internet, to the smartphone VTEX’s fully integrated, end-to-end commerce as SoftBank’s stake in T-Mobile U.S. era and now Artificial Intelligence. solution is allowing businesses across sectors to He also spearheads the SoftBank We believe that technology is key to operate during the pandemic. Latin America organization, a $5 building a happier and more fulfill- Will you discuss SoftBank’s investment billion fund dedicated to investing ing future. SoftBank has transformed, strategy and what are the key traits you in technology growth opportuni- Marcelo Claure originally from a telecommunications look for in an entrepreneur when evaluat- ties throughout the region, as well company, into a global investor in ing a potential investment? as the newly-launched SB Opportunity Fund, entrepreneurs around the world. These inno- Our investment strategy is simple. SoftBank a $100 million fund dedicated to investing in vators are reimagining e-commerce, health- invests in companies that utilize technology to entrepreneurs of color. In addition, Claure care, finance, mobility, and other sectors. disrupt the way we work, the way we live and serves as Executive Chairman of WeWork, the Headquartered in Tokyo, SoftBank has offi ces the way we play. We love entrepreneurs who world’s largest co-working and space-as-a-ser- around the world, including in London, Silicon are obsessed: obsessed with solving a problem, vice company, where he oversees the company’s Valley, New York City, Washington, Miami, obsessed with finding talent, obsessed with long-term strategy and growth-led transfor- Mexico City and São Paulo. making their mark and proving to the world mation. Previously, Claure served as President SoftBank is a platform for entrepreneur- what they can do. Obsession is the only thing and CEO and then as Executive Chairman of ship. Our CEO and Chairman, Masayoshi Son, that can get you up every morning, even when Sprint, where he is widely-recognized for deliv- provides this incredible brand, global capabili- things aren’t going the way you want. I was an ering the best fi nancial results in Sprint’s 120- ties, and mentorship for founders and for his obsessed entrepreneur myself. year history and architecting its merger with own executives to dream big and do big things. We also love entrepreneurs who are T-Mobile U.S. Prior to Sprint, Claure founded Everything I’ve done inside SoftBank has been specific. Everyone knows that big markets Brightstar, which he built into the world’s larg- entrepreneurial, and that’s a very special part of are important and competitive advantages est global wireless distribution and services our culture. are important. Those things sound good on company and the largest Hispanic-owned How has SoftBank and its portfolio PowerPoint, but the best entrepreneurs are very business in U.S. history, with operations in adapted to address the challenges caused clear and specifi c about what they are doing, more than 50 countries and revenues exceed- by the uncertainty of the global pandemic? even though it may sound less grand than some ing $10 billion. Claure is a member of the Despite its devastating impact, COVID-19 “big idea” on a PowerPoint page. They know Boards of Directors of Arm and Univision, has accelerated the pace of digitization. There’s their business, they know their customers, they and serves as Chairman of Fortress. He is also no doubt the virus has caused tremendous pain know their product intimately. I enjoy nothing the president of Club Bolívar, Bolivia’s most for so many, but what differentiates SoftBank more than a conversation with an entrepreneur popular and successful soccer team; co-owner is that our entrepreneurs look for the silver lin- who can go down the rabbit hole and explain and Chairman of Inter Miami CF, this year’s ing to bring new technologies to life and have all the small details. newly debuted MLS team; and most recently a partner in SoftBank to support rapid change. Finally, we love entrepreneurs who are co-owner of Girona FC. Some of the most innovative ideas of our time building for the long term. We don’t focus on will stem from this time of uncertainty. the next quarter; we focus on the next century. COMPANY BRIEF SoftBank Group (global.softbank) invests in breakthrough tech- nology to improve the quality of life for people around the world. SoftBank Group is comprised “SoftBank has transformed, originally from a of SoftBank Group Corp., an investment hold- ing company that includes telecommunications, Internet services, AI, smart robotics, IoT and telecommunications company, into a global clean energy technology providers; SoftBank Vision Funds, which are investing up to $100 billion to help extraordinary entrepreneurs investor in entrepreneurs around the world.” transform industries and shape new ones; and SoftBank Latin America Fund, the largest ven- ture fund in the region. 166 LEADERS POSTED WITH PERMISSION. COPYRIGHT © 2021 LEADERS MAGAZINE, LLC VOLUME 44, NUMBER 2 “SoftBank invests in companies that utilize technology to disrupt the way we work, the way we live and the way we play. We love entrepreneurs who are obsessed: obsessed with solving a problem, obsessed with fi nding talent, obsessed with making their mark and proving to the world what they can do.” We align most naturally with entrepreneurs WeWork’s many locations allow employees Brazil is undeniably the current leader in terms who think in terms of the future value they are to work in professional working spaces near of entrepreneurial activity and capital. However, building, not just what revenue number they home, employers to set up decentralized offi ces there are green shoots in every country and are hitting this month. The best founders are or collaboration hubs, and companies to rede- every industry. We want to make sure we fi nd constantly investing in the future – that’s what sign workspace to accommodate for social dis- every promising entrepreneur, regardless of makes them so different from most professional, tancing and other COVID-19 protocols. From country or sector. public market CEOs, who are solving for the locations in Miami, Mexico City, Buenos Aries Do you feel that the ability to be an next quarter. and more, WeWork is a ready partner to support entrepreneur can be taught or is the entre- How will the rapid expansion of arti- the LATAM entrepreneur. preneurial spirit something a person is ficial intelligence and the AI revolution What was the vision for launching born with? impact SoftBank’s future investments? SoftBank Latin America Fund and what do Everyone has it in them to be an entre- What’s unique about SoftBank is that the you see as the opportunities in LATAM? preneur if they are given the right tools. focus of our investment philosophy for the last Latin America has massive potential and Throughout my career, I’ve been lucky to have almost 15 years has always been on technology, is fast becoming one of the most important mentors, including SoftBank Group CEO and data, and AI. The pandemic has reaffi rmed our economic regions in the world. The region’s founder Masayoshi Son, that have shown me strategy. SoftBank continues to invest in the AI environment is ripe for technology-enabled what it means to be optimistic and tenacious. Revolution – we are focused on funding com- companies to flourish; it represents 10 per- Education systems need to innovate and inspire panies that use AI to improve the way we work, cent of the world’s population and 8% of the too. It’s not just about the academic coursework, the way we live and the way we play. We have world’s GDP (two times the GDP of India; half but equipping students with the vision, practi- proven our philosophy as one of the largest that of China). The region has a rapidly grow- cal know-how and technical skills they need tech ecosystems in the world. ing middle class, extremely dense urban cen- to navigate the future. With our focus on AI, Our habits have fundamentally changed ters, poor logistics infrastructure and signifi cant we launched a data science training program in with digitalization. These trends will continue to under-penetration of a broad range of products LATAM in partnership with Correlation One. We evolve as we leverage AI to take digitalization and services. All these factors present signifi - customized the program’s structure to solve our to a new level and make today’s technologies cant growth opportunities for rapid technology portfolio’s specifi c data science needs, includ- smarter and more agile. We are already seeing deployment and adoption at scale. ing upskilling internal employees who knew the the benefi ts.