In a bold move to cement its position in the artificial intelligence sector, SoftBank Group has announced plans to acquire digital infrastructure specialist DigitalBridge Group for $4 billion. The deal signals SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son’s unwavering commitment to placing his company at the epicenter of the AI boom that’s reshaping the global technology landscape.
DigitalBridge’s extensive infrastructure network includes critical digital assets such as datacenters, cellular towers, fiber optic networks, small-cell systems, and edge computing facilities. The company has built strategic positions in key infrastructure providers including Vantage Data Centers, Zayo, Switch, and AtlasEdge. These assets form the backbone of modern computing infrastructure, making them increasingly valuable as AI applications demand ever-greater processing power and connectivity.
The company being acquired has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past few years. Originally established as Colony Capital in 1991 with a focus on traditional real estate investments, the firm executed a strategic pivot under Marc Ganzi’s leadership. After shedding its conventional property assets, it emerged in 2021 as DigitalBridge, a pure-play digital infrastructure investor. This strategic repositioning has proven prescient given the surging demand for digital infrastructure assets.
Managing an impressive $108 billion in assets as of late September, DigitalBridge has established itself as one of the premier players in the digital infrastructure investment space. This massive portfolio will now become part of SoftBank’s expanding AI-focused empire, though DigitalBridge will maintain operational independence with Ganzi continuing as CEO of the separately managed platform within the SoftBank structure.
SoftBank’s investment strategy increasingly revolves around artificial intelligence infrastructure. Beyond the DigitalBridge acquisition, the Japanese giant has partnered with OpenAI, Oracle, and MGX on the ambitious Stargate project. This initiative plans to construct five major computing facilities across the American Southwest and Midwest, featuring a combined power capacity of about 7 gigawatts. These massive investments reflect Son’s conviction that AI represents a generational opportunity that will fundamentally reshape technology and business.