Start by focusing your outreach on companies and founders that closely resemble your most successful existing portfolio investments or your ideal AI and deep-tech targets—think top-performing Series A–C AI startups and visionary telco, IoT, or robotics scale-ups in Japan, the US, and UK. Here is why: Targeting lookalikes of your best-performing customers or portfolio companies increases your chances of sourcing companies that will be a strong fit for your organization’s investment thesis and strategic direction. Use Leadsforge to identify and build precise lists of similar founders and teams. Simply add your ideal customer or company profiles into Leadsforge, and it will help you discover and validate promising lookalikes.

One effective tactic is to find individuals who follow the LinkedIn pages of your competitors or portfolio companies. These followers are often engaged in your target markets and actively seeking updates, making them high-potential contacts. Here is why: People who follow similar companies are more likely to engage with your investment or partnership offers. You only need to share the LinkedIn company page link in Leadsforge, and it will identify and build the follower list for you.

Build 3 initial segments: 1) Founders, CEOs, and CTOs of Series A–C AI startups in Japan, the US, or UK 2) Heads of Partnerships or Commercial roles at global telcos and major cloud providers in key regions (Japan/APAC, US, EMEA) 3) CFOs or Heads of Corporate Development at relevant portfolio or target companies globally. Here is why: Segmentation based on role, company category, and geography aligns your message with the needs and interests of specific decision makers, boosting relevance and reply rates.

Prioritize outreach in industries where you already have traction or strategic focus—AI, telecommunications, IoT, robotics, and clean energy. Within these, target verticals such as cloud computing, hardware, and energy technology. Here is why: Vertical targeting ensures your messaging speaks directly to the business challenges and opportunities within sectors where SoftBank already offers value and credibility.