SoftBank Group Corp. is exploring a sale of a minority stake in OSIsoft LLC that could be worth more than $1.5 billion (¥161.24 billion), according to people familiar with the matter.
SoftBank is working with a financial adviser to sell the stake in the industrial software company, which is held by its Vision Fund, said the people, who asked to not be identified because the matter isn’t public. The move is part of SoftBank’s new focus on raising cash, they said.
The Japanese firm’s plans aren’t final and it could opt to keep the stake, the people said.
Representatives for Vision Fund and OSIsoft declined to comment.
SoftBank Chief Executive Officer Masayoshi Son has said he will sell off about $42 billion in assets to finance stock buybacks and pay down debt. SoftBank disclosed it is selling shares in Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and is in talks to sell about $20 billion of T-Mobile U.S. Inc., Bloomberg News has reported.
SoftBank’s Vision Fund has unwound some investments, including dumping its entire stake in chipmaker Nvidia Corp. in February 2019. The fund, which has made bets on companies that have cratered such as WeWork, sold a nearly 50 percent stake in dog walking startup Wag Labs back to the company last year.
San Leandro, California-based OSIsoft sells software into sectors including oil and gas, utilities and pharmaceutical development, according to its website.
SoftBank acquired a "significant minority stake” in the company in 2017 from backers including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and TCV, according to a statement. Its investment was worth a bit less than $1 billion, a person familiar with the matter said at the time.