SoftBank Group has announced its acquisition of DigitalBridge in an all-cash deal valued at $4 billion, signaling the conglomerate’s shift towards AI-focused investments and the necessary physical infrastructure to support it. The deal, at $16 per share, represents a premium to DigitalBridge’s recent share prices and is aimed at enhancing SoftBank’s global digital infrastructure capabilities to meet the growing demand for compute and data center capacity driven by AI workloads.
DigitalBridge’s diverse portfolio includes investments in data centers, cell towers, fiber networks, and edge infrastructure, totaling $108 billion in assets under management. The acquisition is strategically aligned with SoftBank’s vision to lead in the AI platform space and support the development of next-generation AI data centers. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2026, pending regulatory approvals, with DigitalBridge continuing to operate as a separate entity under its current leadership.
The move comes amidst a surge in investor interest in financing AI infrastructure, with SoftBank positioning itself not only in AI applications but also in the foundational technology driving them. The company’s involvement in OpenAI and Stargate, alongside recent divestments like the sale of its Nvidia stake, underscores its commitment to fueling AI innovation. This trend of private capital pouring into data centers, exemplified by recent high-profile acquisitions in the industry, reflects the increasing importance of robust infrastructure to support the exponential growth of AI workloads.
