TOKYO, 29 December 2025 — Japanese technology and investment giant SoftBank Group has agreed to purchase DigitalBridge Group, Inc., a leading digital infrastructure investor, in a deal valued at **approximately $4 billion, including debt, to bolster its global data centre and connectivity capabilities in support of next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) services.
Under the terms of the agreement, SoftBank will indirectly acquire all outstanding common stock of DigitalBridge at $16.00 per share in cash, representing a 15 per cent premium to DigitalBridge’s recent closing price and about 50 per cent above its 52-week average. The acquisition, unanimously approved by DigitalBridge’s board and recommended by a special committee of independent directors, is expected to close in the second half of 2026, subject to customary regulatory and shareholder approvals.
Strengthening the Backbone for AI and Digital Infrastructure
DigitalBridge, headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, is a global alternative asset manager specialising in data centres, cell towers, fiber networks, and other digital infrastructure segments that underpin the computing and connectivity essential to AI deployment. The company manages more than US $108 billion in infrastructure assets, giving SoftBank immediate scale in high-growth digital infrastructure markets.
For SoftBank, the acquisition aligns with its broader strategy to build out the physical backbone needed for large-scale AI training, deployment and services, a priority highlighted by its previous investments, including the STARGATE project with partners such as OpenAI and Oracle that aims to develop multi-gigawatt AI data centre campuses.
SoftBank Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son said the transaction will “strengthen the foundation for next-generation AI data centres” and help the group “build, scale and finance the infrastructure required for AI services at global scale.” DigitalBridge CEO Marc Ganzi added that the combination would allow the firm to pursue a longer-term investment horizon and better serve major technology clients as AI demand expands.
Deal Rationale and Market Response
Analysts view the acquisition as part of a broader AI infrastructure land grab, where demand for data centres, fibre networks and edge systems is expanding rapidly as enterprises and cloud providers scale AI capabilities. DigitalBridge’s diversified portfolio and established platform in critical infrastructure assets make it a strategic fit for SoftBank, which has been actively reshaping its portfolio toward AI-related investments.
Following the news, DigitalBridge’s shares rallied sharply in early trading, reflecting investor enthusiasm over the takeover premium and the strategic logic of the deal.
The Ledger Asia View:
SoftBank’s acquisition of DigitalBridge for $4 billion highlights how major technology investors are now prioritising infrastructure that supports AI at scale, not just software or models. For Asia’s tech and data centre markets, this signals further integration of global AI infrastructure capital, with implications for service providers, cloud operators and regional connectivity hubs as demand for compute capacity accelerates into 2026.
