Under the corporate philosophy “Information Revolution — Happiness for everyone,” the SoftBank Group lays out the sustainability vision “Help shape the next 300 years for our future generations and the planet.” Based on the vision, the SoftBank Group cooperates with the Group companies under instruction from Chief Sustainability Officer in-charge of group-wide sustainability initiatives to promote social contribution activities including supporting the development of the next generation.
We live in an age of rapid technological change known as the information revolution. The SoftBank Group develops an environment where all people can utilize information technology and helps the next generation thrive in this age by providing educational support and leadership training programs. We believe this not only benefits society but also helps the Group attract future talent that can carry our business forward. We also believe that providing educational and business support for underrepresented founders is to create growth opportunities for talented people and to contribute to diversity in society.
Furthermore, each Group company follows an independent decision-making process to create social contribution programs that draw on the strengths and resources of its outstanding technologies or business models. This work, and the synthesis of these programs in specific fields such as eliminating the digital divide and youth education, can be seen as one manifestation of the SoftBank Group’s Cluster of No. 1 Strategy, a growth strategy by which we seek to create social value through capital synergies and shared visions between diverse Group companies.
The SoftBank Group will continue to engage in dialogue with stakeholders, including local communities, and contribute to society's greater happiness with people around the world.
Digital Inclusion
Technological progress has benefitted many people, but new issues have emerged, such as the digital divide. The Group will promote initiatives that leverage the strengths of each group company and will contribute to the realization of a world where everyone can enjoy the benefits of the Information Revolution.
Promoting a Safe and Convenient Society for All Through Digital Technology (SoftBank Corp., LY Corporation)
In-vehicle telemedicine consultation
（SoftBank Corp.）
Japan is facing a variety of social challenges, such as a declining birth rate and an aging population, the need to maintain local public transportation infrastructure, and disaster preparedness. The Company aims to help address these challenges through digital technology, with the goal of creating a society where everyone can live safely and securely.
SoftBank has concluded partnership agreements with 172*1 local governments in Japan under which the company assists the local governments in digital transformation.*2 As part of this initiative, the company is supporting the practical implementation of autonomous driving to provide inclusive mobility for elderly people and people with disabilities. The company is also supporting community wellness by providing apps that people in remote regions can use to access health advice free from restrictions of time and place.
LY Corporation is contributing to the safety and convenience of local communities by supporting the implementation of a wide range of initiatives through its LINE Smart City Promotion Partner Program. These initiatives include administrative services, such as allowing residents to apply for certificates of residence via the LINE app, as well as the use of AI chatbots to provide evacuation and recovery information during natural disasters.
As of October 22, 2025
Through these partnerships, local governments are leveraging digital technology to transform administrative processes and the way public services are delivered, with the aim of improving convenience and satisfaction for residents.
Providing Access to Education for Every Young Person (Arm, SoftBank Corp.)
Children exploring through learning
（SoftBank Corp.）
To ensure that every child can continue learning regardless of their environment or circumstances, the Company is creating educational opportunities both in Japan and abroad.
Arm is growing its involvement with Data Science Africa (DSA) on its work increasing digital inclusion while advancing technological solutions to local issues. Having partnered since 2015, Arm is now supporting a new visiting fellowship program and new DSA country-specific chapters. The visiting fellowship program aims to allow young data scientists to spend time at established labs within Africa, focusing on health, agriculture, and environmental conservation. Arm continues to donate to DSA’s annual summer school and workshop, which trains students on machine learning and data science methodologies. Summer school projects have led to advances like DSA’s deployment of machine learning-enabled sensor systems for water resource monitoring.
SoftBank is promoting inclusive education* across Japan in collaboration with the University of Tokyo’s Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology in order to support children who face challenges such as “finding it difficult to learn in the same style as others” or “having trouble identifying the information they need amid noise.” Specifically, the initiative provides learning and daily life support using ICT devices such as tablets, smartphones, and smart speakers. By experiencing features such as voice input and text-to-speech functionality on these devices, children are discovering and learning how digital technology can help them overcome personal challenges.
Cultivating the Next Generation of Talent
SoftBank Group Corp. promotes a wide range of initiatives, including educational support and leadership development, to foster the next generation of talent who will contribute to society and create new value for the future.
Promote international goodwill and friendship among young people through baseball（SoftBank Group Corp.）
The 30th World Children's Baseball Fair in Fukuoka
SoftBank Group Corp. sponsors the “World Children's Baseball Fair”*, which was first held in Los Angeles, USA, in 1990 and was initiated by the world's two home-run kings - Japan's Sadaharu Oh and America's Hank Aaron. Their aim was to expand this wonderful sport, baseball, throughout the world and help children to learn the game. They also hoped this event would promote friendship among children and help to create a borderless world. Since then, it has been held every summer in cities around the world.
TOMODACHI Summer SoftBank Leadership Program（SoftBank Group Corp.）
Since its launch in 2012, the program has run 10 times over 12 years through 2024*. SoftBank Group Corp. and the U.S.-Japan Council invited students in Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima—the prefectures most severely hit by the Great East Japan Earthquake—to a three-week intensive course at the University of California,
Berkeley, in the United States. The students participate in the Y-PLAN (Youth-Plan, Learn, Act Now), a problem-solving workshop, to learn about global leadership skills and local contribution activities. After returning to Japan, they actively take part in various projects in their local areas by leveraging what they learned.
Data on Participants (as of December 2024)
Cumulative participants : 1,029
Support of next generation education utilizing Pepper（SoftBank Group Corp.）
SoftBank Group Corp. implemented the "Pepper Social Contribution Program" in Japan, lending humanoid robot, Pepper, to local governments, NPOs and other organizations for three years. The Program includes programming education for elementary-school and junior-high-school students, teaching tool development using Pepper and solution exploration for e social problems. In addition, we provided next-generation educational support using Pepper in countries around the world, including China, the U.S., and Canada.
Investing in Entrepreneurs
Investing in underrepresented entrepreneurs (SBIA)
In 2019, SBIA launched the SoftBank Vision Fund Emerge program in the U.S. to promote diversity in tech by supporting and funding business owners who belong to groups historically underrepresented in the technology ecosystem. The program provided participant founders with the capital, tools, and networks needed to scale their business. Following its success, the program was expanded to Europe in 2020, and has partnered with 23 exceptional entrepreneurs.
Helping to nurture digital and entrepreneurial talent (SoftBank Corp.)
SoftBank Corp. is a scholarship partner of Kamiyama Marugoto College, a private technical college that opened in April 2023. In this role, the company has donated ¥1 billion toward effectively free tuition at the college. By supporting founders and providing courses in technology, SoftBank Corp. is helping to nurture the digital and entrepreneurial talent who will lead Japan in the future.
Other Social Contribution Activities
Promotion of Volunteer Activities by Employees
SoftBank Group Corp. and SoftBank Corp. provide employees with two days of paid volunteer leave annually to encourage participation in volunteer activities of their choice.
SoftBank Corp. aims to contribute to a better society by encouraging employees to build close connections with local communities beyond their regular work through volunteer activities such as community cleanups, support for people with disabilities, and assistance for affected areas during large-scale disasters, and by applying the experience and knowledge gained through these activities to their professional roles. In fiscal 2024, 285 employees took volunteer leave.
Social Contributions in Recruiting Activities
Based on the Cluster of No.1 Strategy, the SoftBank Group has made investments in leading companies in diverse areas and has carried out its businesses in various regions across the world. Investments by the SoftBank Group reflects its extremely flexible group management, rather than controlling and managing portfolio companies by making them wholly owned subsidiaries. In recruitment activities, we place emphasis on employment in the area of operation and in principle, employ local people. By working together with local experts, we are able to conduct our businesses in a way closely connected to the culture of the specific country or region and activating the local employment market. We also conduct fair recruitment and personnel evaluation, neutral to individuals’ backgrounds such as social status, class and academic record. The SoftBank Group promises fair and equal employment opportunities, regardless of individuals’ upbringing and other factors.
Social Contribution Activities of Group Companies
