Kirthiga Reddy: The First Female To Join Softbank's $100 Bn Vision Fund

SoftBank has hired former Facebook India MD, Kirthiga Reddy, to join as an Investment Adviser. She will serve as a partner at Softbank's $100 billion Vision Fund, becoming the first woman to join a group of over 12 people who oversee this venture. SoftBank handles the world’s biggest pool of technology investments.

According to a SoftBank spokeswoman, Reddy will work closely with senior managing partner Deep Nishar. Her experience with Facebook India and later on in the US, for eight years, will help her boost the firm's global investment in frontier technologies. Reddy moved on from Facebook India in 2016. Reddy who is known for her technical and business expertise has earlier also served as chair of Stanford Business School Management Board.

Kirthiga Reddy will be placed at SoftBank's San Carlos, Silicon Valley office.

“I look forward to contributing to their mission to positively shape the future by seeking to back the boldest, most transformative and optimistic ideas of today. Like in other investment firms, the venture partner role enables quick integration of new talent from non-investing backgrounds, which is a perfect fit for me,” she added.

Post her departure from the India office, she had spent time in the US to explore new opportunities at Facebook’s headquarters in Menlo Park. “After over seven incredible years at Facebook — starting as the first employee and managing director for Facebook India and the last two years at HQ as managing global client partner and emerging markets lead — I am thrilled to join SoftBank Investment Advisers as their first venture partner,” Reddy said in her Facebook post.

The Vision Fund is said to have pledged around $65 billion to acquire stakes in the likes of Uber Technologies Inc., WeWork Cos. and China’s Didi Chuxing. In 2016, the entire US venture capital industry invested $75.3 billion, according to the National Venture Capital Association.

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