In a strategic move that underscores its commitment to artificial intelligence, SoftBank Group revealed plans to acquire DigitalBridge Group for $4 billion, both companies announced recently. This acquisition represents a pivotal step in SoftBank’s ongoing campaign to position itself as a dominant force in the rapidly expanding AI infrastructure market.
The transaction significantly enhances SoftBank’s exposure to the digital infrastructure sector, which provides the essential backbone for AI technologies. Masayoshi Son, SoftBank’s visionary billionaire founder, has been orchestrating a comprehensive strategy to take advantage of the surging demand for computing resources that power artificial intelligence applications. The DigitalBridge acquisition fits seamlessly into this broader vision of capturing value from the AI boom.
DigitalBridge operates as a specialized investor in critical digital infrastructure sectors including datacenters, cellular towers, fiber optic networks, small-cell systems, and edge computing infrastructure. The company’s investment portfolio features industry-leading entities such as Vantage Data Centers, Zayo, Switch, and AtlasEdge. The firm’s journey began in 1991 as Colony Capital, a real estate investment company, before CEO Marc Ganzi led a complete strategic pivot toward digital infrastructure, culminating in the 2021 rebrand to DigitalBridge after shedding legacy real estate holdings.
The acquisition structure ensures continuity of leadership, with Ganzi remaining as CEO and DigitalBridge continuing to function as an independently managed platform. The scale of DigitalBridge’s operations is substantial, with approximately $108 billion in assets under management as of the end of September. This makes the firm one of the premier dedicated investors in digital ecosystem infrastructure, bringing significant expertise and relationships to SoftBank’s portfolio.
SoftBank’s AI ambitions extend well beyond acquiring DigitalBridge. The company has joined forces with OpenAI, Oracle, and MGX, a technology investor based in Abu Dhabi, to pour billions into the Stargate project. This ambitious initiative aims to create large-scale computing and infrastructure capabilities specifically designed to advance AI development. The project includes plans for five new computing facilities across multiple states, with a total power capacity target of about 7 gigawatts.