SoftBank Group is considering an investment of more than $1 billion in office-space sharing start-up WeWork, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
The deal could be among the first from SoftBank’s $100 billion technology fund, the report said. SoftBank and WeWork declined to comment.
WeWork is currently valued at nearly $17 billion and SoftBank’s valuation of the company is expected to be at or above this figure, the publication said, citing sources.
Citing sources, it also said SoftBank had earlier discussed an investment in WeWork before pulling out and added that talks may not result in a deal this time.
Some SoftBank executives have reportedly raised questions whether the WeWork deal is overvalued, saying a company in the business of office space is far afield from tech-focused investments.
SoftBank also recently held discussions with Uber, though it isn’t clear if an investment is in the pipeline, the report said.