Japanese Conglomerate SoftBank Acquires DigitalBridge for $4B in AI Push

Japanese conglomerate SoftBank Group is acquiring DigitalBridge Group for $4 billion as part of an aggressive push into artificial intelligence infrastructure. The transaction, confirmed by both parties, reflects founder Masayoshi Son’s conviction that controlling infrastructure assets will be essential to capturing value from the AI revolution.
This acquisition dramatically expands SoftBank’s involvement in digital infrastructure, which encompasses the physical and network assets that enable AI technologies to function. Son has been reshaping SoftBank’s investment focus around artificial intelligence, recognizing the once-in-a-generation opportunity created by the technology. The extraordinary growth in demand for computing power to support AI applications has made infrastructure investments highly attractive, which DigitalBridge’s specialized portfolio directly addresses.
DigitalBridge specializes in digital infrastructure investments spanning datacenters, cell tower networks, fiber systems, small-cell infrastructure, and edge computing facilities. The company’s holdings include industry leaders like Vantage Data Centers, Zayo, Switch, and AtlasEdge. Beginning as Colony Capital in 1991 as a traditional real estate investor, the firm transformed completely under CEO Marc Ganzi’s direction, systematically exiting legacy property investments and rebranding as DigitalBridge in 2021.
Under the acquisition terms, Ganzi will remain as CEO with DigitalBridge continuing to operate as an independently managed platform. The magnitude of what SoftBank is acquiring is substantial: DigitalBridge over saw approximately $108 billion in assets at the end of September, making it one of the largest dedicated investors in digital infrastructure globally. This provides SoftBank with immediate scale and specialized knowledge in a critical sector.
SoftBank’s commitment to AI infrastructure is evident across its portfolio. The company is a core partner in the Stargate project, collaborating with OpenAI, Oracle, and MGX, an Abu Dhabi-based technology investor. This ambitious initiative involves deploying billions of dollars to construct large-scale computing infrastructure purpose-built for advanced AI development. The roadmap includes five new computing facilities across Texas, New Mexico, and Ohio with a combined power capacity target of about 7 gigawatts.