SoftBank has launched the ‘SoftBank Innovation Program’, a program that seeks a wide range of innovative solutions and technologies from outside the company for joint consideration and commercialization. The SoftBank Innovation Program’s aim is to create new value by taking reviewed and selected third-party innovative solutions and technologies and combining them with SoftBank’s own resources.
The first round of the SoftBank Innovation Program is open to four categories - Smart Homes, Connected Vehicles, Digital Marketing and Healthcare. For the shortlisted applicants, SoftBank will provide funding for prototype development, environments for test marketing and other forms of assistance. Applicants that make it to the final stage will be able to deploy their offerings on SoftBank’s sales channels in Japan, and potentially into global markets through other companies in the SoftBank Group such as Brightstar and Sprint Corporation.
