SoftBank invests in Israeli quantum software co Classiq

The Japanese investment giant has resumed direct investments in Israel at a sensitive time with public opinion in Japan leaning against Israel.

SoftBank has resumed direct investments in Israel. The Japanese investment giant has invested in Israel quantum software company Classiq, which raised $110 million in May in a financing round led by Entrée Capital.

The investment was managed directly by the investment team in Tokyo on behalf of SoftBank's Vision 2 Fund, in collaboration with the US team in New York, and with the knowledge of those responsible for the Israeli market at the fund - former Mossad head Yossi Cohen and veteran partner Amit Lubovsky. This is an expansion estimated at $20-30 million to the existing round (Round C) that gave the company an estimated valuation of $400 million. Four Japanese corporations have now invested in the Israeli company as part of the fundraising round - SoftBank, Sumitomo's IN Venture, telecom company NTT, and another large company that asked not to be named due to the geopolitical situation.

The investment comes at a sensitive time with public opinion in Japan leaning against Israel and the Japanese government wary of pro-Israeli statements due to concerns about the Arab world's reaction. The Italian government's investment fund, CDP, also joined the expansion of the round at a sensitive time for Italians who express mixed positions on Israel's war in Gaza. In Italy, it is expected that the investment will lead to Classiq promoting the quantum industry in the country.

Although SoftBank has made several investments in Israel including Claroty, Cato Networks and Wiz, in the last two years the Japanese giant has disappeared from the investment map here. This is the Japanese team's return to direct investments in Israel, as well as the fund's first-ever quantum investment.

The connection between the Israeli company and SoftBank was made due to Classiq's activities in Japan - one of the most advanced countries in investing in quantum computing. Classicq has a branch in Japan that provides its operating system for quantum computers for clients such as Mitsubishi, Deloitte Japan, NTT, Itochu and Sumitomo.

SoftBank's Japanese team conducted a due diligence process that included comparisons with rivals, and later published the findings, which prove Classiq's superiority over other quantum companies such as IBM and Quantinuum in the quantum computing operating system category. SoftBank sees the quantum computing industry and its investment in Classiq as another avenue through which it can gain a foothold in government organizations, academia and large companies.

Classiq, which was ranked by "Globes" as one of Israel's 10 most promising startups in 2022, calls itself the Microsoft of the quantum software world due to an operating system it has developed that allows complex algorithms to be run on quantum computers of any type. The operating system is indifferent to the variety of quantum machines being developed by dozens of companies in different technologies.

Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on July 30, 2025.

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