The Japanese conglomerate’s founder, Masayoshi Son, said the company would take a more defensive approach in its tech investing, citing market risks such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in addition to rising inflation and interest rates. (Financial Times)

Talking point: Son is the latest high-profile investor to sound concerns about the economy, as companies and investors alike tighten their belts in anticipation of tougher market conditions to come. Vision Fund, SoftBank’s massive tech investment fund, racked up losses of roughly US$27 billion for the full year, hurt in part by China’s crackdown on tech companies. In Canada, some of the country’s top venture capitalists are expecting the turbulence to last until the end of this year at the earliest, and have slowed down the pace of their deal-making as a result. Tech companies could have a far more difficult time fundraising than they did last year, investors said.