SoftBank Group is adding digital infrastructure giant DigitalBridge Group to its portfolio in a $4 billion transaction focused on artificial intelligence, both companies confirmed. The acquisition reflects founder Masayoshi Son’s ongoing campaign to dominate the infrastructure layer supporting AI technologies.
The deal provides SoftBank with dramatically broadened exposure to digital infrastructure, which encompasses the essential assets and systems that enable AI applications to operate at scale. Son has been orchestrating a comprehensive shift of SoftBank’s investments toward artificial intelligence, viewing it as a once-in-a-generation opportunity. The extraordinary demand for computing capacity to power AI systems has made infrastructure investments highly attractive, which DigitalBridge’s portfolio comprehensively captures.
DigitalBridge invests across essential digital infrastructure categories including datacenters, cell tower networks, fiber systems, small-cell infrastructure, and edge computing facilities. Portfolio companies include industry-recognized businesses like Vantage Data Centers, Zayo, Switch, and AtlasEdge. Originally established as Colony Capital in 1991 with a traditional real estate focus, the company transformed completely under CEO Marc Ganzi’s leadership, systematically exiting legacy property investments and adopting the DigitalBridge brand in 2021.
Following the acquisition, Ganzi will remain at the helm as CEO, with DigitalBridge functioning as a separately managed platform. The financial scale is impressive: DigitalBridge oversaw roughly $108 billion in assets at the end of September, positioning it among the largest institutional investors focused exclusively on digital infrastructure. This provides SoftBank with immediate access to substantial assets and deep industry relationships.
SoftBank’s AI infrastructure commitment extends across multiple fronts. The company is a principal backer of the Stargate project alongside OpenAI, Oracle, and MGX, a technology investment firm based in Abu Dhabi. This collaborative initiative involves multi-billion-dollar investments in large-scale computing infrastructure designed specifically for advanced AI development. The announced roadmap includes five computing centers in Texas, New Mexico, and Ohio with approximately 7 gigawatts of combined power capacity.