Digital infrastructure investor DigitalBridge Group is set to become part of SoftBank Group’s growing empire following Monday’s announcement of a $4 billion acquisition agreement. This transaction significantly expands the Japanese conglomerate’s footprint in the digital infrastructure sector, providing crucial assets to support the computing demands of artificial intelligence applications.
The acquisition gives SoftBank control over a diverse portfolio of digital infrastructure assets that form the essential plumbing of modern technology. DigitalBridge’s holdings span multiple critical sectors including large-scale datacenters, telecommunications towers, fiber optic networks, distributed small-cell systems, and edge computing infrastructure. Major portfolio companies include industry leaders such as Vantage Data Centers, telecommunications provider Zayo, datacenter operator Switch, and European edge infrastructure specialist AtlasEdge.
DigitalBridge’s journey to this acquisition began three decades ago when it was founded as Colony Capital, a traditional real estate investment firm. The company’s strategic transformation accelerated under CEO Marc Ganzi, who recognized the growing importance of digital infrastructure assets. By 2021, after divesting most legacy real estate holdings, the firm completed its metamorphosis into DigitalBridge, positioning itself squarely in one of the investment world’s hottest sectors. Ganzi’s leadership will continue post-acquisition, with DigitalBridge operating as an independent platform within SoftBank.
As one of the world’s largest dedicated digital infrastructure investors, DigitalBridge managed approximately $108 billion in assets by the end of September. This substantial asset base represents investments across the digital ecosystem, from the physical infrastructure of datacenters to the connectivity networks that link them. For SoftBank, this acquisition provides immediate scale and expertise in a sector experiencing explosive growth driven by AI demand.
SoftBank’s strategic focus on artificial intelligence extends across multiple major initiatives. The company has joined forces with OpenAI, Oracle, and Abu Dhabi-based MGX on the Stargate project, an enormous infrastructure development program. Plans call for constructing five new computing campuses across Texas, New Mexico, and Ohio, with combined electrical capacity reaching approximately 7 gigawatts. These investments reflect Masayoshi Son’s determination to position SoftBank as a central player in what he views as a transformative technological era.