What do Zume’s layoffs and Grubhub’s sale rumors have to do with SoftBank?What do Zume’s layoffs and Grubhub’s sale rumors have to do with SoftBank?

Zume Inc., which first gained attention for their robot pizza operation, is planning significant layoffs, according to a report from Business Insider this week. Meanwhile Grubhub, once the leader in third-party delivery, is rumored to be considering a sale, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal today. These aren’t just two industry disruptors facing hard times; these stories illustrate the power of venture capital, particularly from Softbank. The Japanese conglomerate runs the $100 billion Vision Fund, the biggest venture capital fund in history.

“Softbank really does have the ability to transform business on the global level,” said Aaron Allen, a restaurant industry consultant. SoftBank looks to startups that can digitize an...