SoftBank Bids $625M for SP.LINKS Payments Provider

SoftBank Corp., the telecom and technology arm of SoftBank Group, is closing in on a deal to acquire SP.LINKS Inc., a Japanese payments services provider currently owned by Blackstone. The acquisition would be part of a $625 million transaction.

The deal would hand Blackstone a tidy return on its investment, as it acquired an 80% stake in the company for approximately ¥40 billion ($250 million) just over two years ago.

SP.LINKS, formerly known as Sony Payment Services, was valued at ¥50 billion at the time of that acquisition. The firm is now targeting a valuation of roughly ¥100 billion ($625 million), more than double its initial value.