SoftBank Investment Advisers, which manages Japan-headquartered telecommunications and internet group SoftBank’s Vision Funds, is hiring Nagraj Kashyap as managing partner, it has told Bloomberg.
Kashyap is currently head of US-based software producer Microsoft’s corporate venturing unit, M12. A serial GCV Powerlist award winner, he joined Microsoft in 2016 having previously headed Qualcomm Ventures, the coprorate venturing arm of mobile chipmaker Qualcomm
Kashyap is also serving a four-year term as board member of the US trade body National Venture Capital Association.
Rajeev Misra, CEO of SoftBank Vision Fund, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Nagraj. His vast experience investing in enterprise startups, leading teams and helping founders leverage corporate networks will be major assets to our firm and broader ecosystem.”
SoftBank Investment Advisers’ US-based managing partner, Jeff Housenbold, said last month he would be leaving in July this year, having delivered some of its best deals. Those include Vision Fund’s $680m investment in DoorDash, which was worth $9bn — a 13.2x return — in SoftBank’s latest financial results.
SoftBank said in total it had generated $26.2bn of financial gains through Vision Fund 1 and 2 investments in the last nine months of 2020, more than 90% of which remain unrealised and are reflections of the gains in the valuation of their portfolio companies.
