Funding from the Tokyo-based conglomerate will come through senior secured debt and boost the office-rental company’s available cash and unfunded cash commitments to US$4.1 billion. (Bloomberg)

Talking point: The financing is another lifeline from WeWork’s biggest investor, after burning US$671 million in the last quarter and seeing its membership drop 12 per cent from the same period last year. SoftBank has sunk close to US$20 billion into the company, about half of which followed the firm’s cancelled IPO and CEO Adam Neumann’s ouster. Keeping WeWork afloat with new investments has been seen as a better option for SoftBank than letting the company fail—the firm is raising for its second Vision Fund and needs to convince other investors it can bolster early-stage, high-growth companies. There’s also a chance WeWork may bounce back in the post-pandemic recovery as companies look for more flexible office space when remote working becomes more common.