SoftBank is winding down corporate venturing vehicle SoftBank Capital in favour of fewer, bigger investments as it looks to replicate its Alibaba investment.

Although founded as a telecoms firm, Japan-based SoftBank has used its corporate venturing investments to in effect expand itself into an internet group with extensive e-commerce holdings.

2015 was the year the company elected to take the next step, reducing the activities of its SoftBank Capital unit and making strategic investment an intrinsic part of its business practice.

SoftBank president Nikesh Arora announced in June that SoftBank Capital, which was formed in 1995, would wind down as the firm…