Son said he had been following ARM for the last 10 years and decided now was the right time to invest in a firm that provides the technology in nearly all smartphones including Apple‘s (AAPL.O) iPhone and Samsung‘s (005930.KS) Galaxy.

ARM is also poised to play a central role in the tech industry‘s shift to the ‚internet of things‘ (IoT) – a network of devices, vehicles and building sensors that collect and exchange data – a stated focus for SoftBank founder and CEO Son.