SoftBank Group is capturing DigitalBridge Group in a $4 billion deal amid an artificial intelligence infrastructure boom, both companies announced. The acquisition reflects billionaire Masayoshi Son’s conviction that controlling infrastructure assets will be critical to participating in the value creation from AI technologies.
The transaction provides SoftBank with dramatically expanded exposure to digital infrastructure, which delivers the computing, storage, and connectivity capabilities essential for AI applications. Son has been reshaping SoftBank’s portfolio to focus on artificial intelligence, viewing it as the defining technological shift of this era. The unprecedented demand for computing resources to support AI systems has made infrastructure investments increasingly attractive, which DigitalBridge’s portfolio comprehensively captures.
DigitalBridge specializes in digital infrastructure investments encompassing datacenters, cell towers, fiber networks, small-cell systems, and edge infrastructure. Portfolio companies include recognized entities such as Vantage Data Centers, Zayo, Switch, and AtlasEdge. The firm’s evolution from its 1991 founding as real estate investor Colony Capital to its current incarnation occurred under CEO Marc Ganzi, who led the strategic pivot away from traditional property holdings and the 2021 rebrand to DigitalBridge.
Following the acquisition, Ganzi will continue serving as CEO, with DigitalBridge maintaining its operational independence as a separately managed platform. The financial scale is considerable: DigitalBridge oversaw roughly $108 billion in assets as of September 30, positioning it among the largest institutional investors focused exclusively on digital infrastructure. This provides SoftBank with immediate scale and credibility in the sector.
Beyond DigitalBridge, SoftBank’s AI infrastructure strategy includes other major commitments. The company is a principal backer of the Stargate project alongside OpenAI, Oracle, and MGX, a technology investment firm headquartered in Abu Dhabi. This collaborative initiative involves multi-billion-dollar investments in large-scale computing infrastructure designed specifically for advanced AI development. The roadmap includes five computing centers in Texas, New Mexico, and Ohio with approximately 7 gigawatts of combined power capacity.