SoftBank Strikes $4 Billion Deal to Acquire DigitalBridge to Deepen AI Infrastructure Strategy
Japanese conglomerate agrees to buy U.S. digital infrastructure investor, scaling data centres and connectivity critical for next-generation artificial intelligence.
SoftBank Group Corp has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire DigitalBridge Group, Inc, a U.S.-based investor in digital infrastructure, in a transaction valued at approximately four billion dollars, including debt.
The deal reflects SoftBank’s strategic pivot toward artificial intelligence and the foundational infrastructure needed to support advanced computing workloads.
Under the terms of the agreement, SoftBank will pay sixteen dollars per share in cash for all outstanding common stock of DigitalBridge, representing roughly a fifteen per cent premium to the closing price on December 26, 2025, and a significant premium to its unaffected average share price over the prior year.
The transaction has received unanimous approval from DigitalBridge’s board and a special committee of independent directors.
DigitalBridge, which manages approximately one hundred eight billion dollars in assets under management, specialises in data centres, fibre-optic networks, cell towers, small cells and edge infrastructure.
These assets are widely regarded as essential components of the physical backbone needed to power artificial intelligence and cloud computing platforms.
SoftBank Chairman and Chief Executive Masayoshi Son said the acquisition will strengthen the company’s ability to build, scale and finance infrastructure for next-generation AI services and applications.
He emphasised the need for increased compute capacity, connectivity and power delivery as AI reshapes industries globally.
DigitalBridge’s CEO Marc Ganzi said the combination will accelerate the firm’s mission by leveraging enhanced capital resources and global networks while maintaining DigitalBridge’s operational independence.
The transaction remains subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to close in the second half of 2026, after which DigitalBridge will continue to operate as a separately managed platform led by Ganzi.
Observers see the deal as part of a broader industry trend in which technology investors and operators are consolidating digital infrastructure to capture growing demand for AI-centric data centre capacity.
The deal reflects SoftBank’s strategic pivot toward artificial intelligence and the foundational infrastructure needed to support advanced computing workloads.
Under the terms of the agreement, SoftBank will pay sixteen dollars per share in cash for all outstanding common stock of DigitalBridge, representing roughly a fifteen per cent premium to the closing price on December 26, 2025, and a significant premium to its unaffected average share price over the prior year.
The transaction has received unanimous approval from DigitalBridge’s board and a special committee of independent directors.
DigitalBridge, which manages approximately one hundred eight billion dollars in assets under management, specialises in data centres, fibre-optic networks, cell towers, small cells and edge infrastructure.
These assets are widely regarded as essential components of the physical backbone needed to power artificial intelligence and cloud computing platforms.
SoftBank Chairman and Chief Executive Masayoshi Son said the acquisition will strengthen the company’s ability to build, scale and finance infrastructure for next-generation AI services and applications.
He emphasised the need for increased compute capacity, connectivity and power delivery as AI reshapes industries globally.
DigitalBridge’s CEO Marc Ganzi said the combination will accelerate the firm’s mission by leveraging enhanced capital resources and global networks while maintaining DigitalBridge’s operational independence.
The transaction remains subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to close in the second half of 2026, after which DigitalBridge will continue to operate as a separately managed platform led by Ganzi.
Observers see the deal as part of a broader industry trend in which technology investors and operators are consolidating digital infrastructure to capture growing demand for AI-centric data centre capacity.
