TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SoftBank Group Corp (“SBG”) today announced the initial executive investment team for the recently launched SoftBank Innovation Fund, the largest-ever technology fund focused exclusively on the fast-growing Latin American market.
Marcelo Claure, Chief Operating Officer of SoftBank Group Corp. and CEO of SoftBank Group International, will also lead SoftBank Latin America and will be responsible for overseeing the SoftBank Innovation Fund, its investments and operations. Marcelo will work alongside a team initially consisting of three Managing Partners responsible for investments.
- André Maciel will serve as Managing Partner responsible for structuring transactions, overseeing the SoftBank Innovation Fund’s Brazil office and investments in other Latin America early stage funds. André was previously a Managing Director at J.P. Morgan where he spent 17 years in leadership positions in M&A and Equity Capital Markets, with a focus on Technology. He will be based in São Paulo.
- Shu Nyatta will serve as one of two Investment Partners. He will be responsible for sourcing and implementing new investments for the SoftBank Innovation Fund. Shu has been with SoftBank since 2015 in different investment roles. He was previously with J.P. Morgan and McKinsey & Co. He has deep global experience with venture-backed technology companies and ecosystems. Shu will be based in Miami and Silicon Valley.
- Paulo Passoni will serve as the second Managing Investment Partner responsible for sourcing and implementing new investments. Paulo was previously Managing Director and Analyst at Third Point LLC focused on investments in Latin America, and before that, Investment Officer at Eton Park. He has deep investment experience, including in several Latin American start-ups. Paulo will be based in the Miami office.
“André, Shu and Paulo are uniquely qualified to help lead the SoftBank Innovation Fund as we invest in transformative Latin American companies in one of the most important economic regions in the world,” said Mr. Claure. “We are delighted to welcome this talented team with deep investment and operational experience in the region at such an exciting time, and believe there’s never been a better time to support Latin America and the companies that will help shape its future.”
The SoftBank Innovation Fund will initially have offices and investment professionals in Miami, San Carlos, Tokyo and São Paulo.
About the SoftBank Group
The SoftBank Group is a global technology player that aspires to drive the Information Revolution. The SoftBank Group is comprised of the holding company SoftBank Group Corp. (TOKYO: 9984) and its global portfolio of companies, which includes advanced telecommunications, Internet services, AI, smart robotics, IoT and clean energy technology providers. In September 2016, Arm Limited, the world's leading semiconductor IP company, joined the SoftBank Group. SoftBank Group Corp. is invested in the SoftBank Vision Fund, which plans to invest up to $100 billion in the global businesses and technologies that the SoftBank Vision Fund believes will enable the next stage of the Information Revolution. To learn more, please visit www.softbank.com.