A $4 billion investment is bringing DigitalBridge Group under SoftBank Group’s artificial intelligence umbrella, the companies jointly announced. The acquisition reflects founder Masayoshi Son’s strategic vision of controlling key infrastructure assets that support AI technology deployment.
The transaction provides SoftBank with substantially expanded exposure to digital infrastructure, which encompasses the physical and network foundations essential for AI systems to operate. Son has been systematically directing SoftBank’s capital toward artificial intelligence, characterizing it as the defining technological shift of this era. The massive growth in demand for computing power to support AI applications has created significant opportunities in infrastructure investment, which DigitalBridge’s portfolio captures.
DigitalBridge’s investment activities span essential digital infrastructure including datacenters, cell tower networks, fiber systems, small-cell infrastructure, and edge computing facilities. The company’s holdings include recognized entities such as Vantage Data Centers, Zayo, Switch, and AtlasEdge. Beginning as Colony Capital in 1991 as a real estate investment firm, the company underwent a complete strategic transformation led by CEO Marc Ganzi, exiting traditional property investments and adopting the DigitalBridge name in 2021.
Under the acquisition agreement, Ganzi will continue serving as CEO, with DigitalBridge operating as an independently managed platform. The magnitude of the transaction is considerable: DigitalBridge managed approximately $108 billion in assets as of the end of September, establishing it as among the largest dedicated investors in digital infrastructure globally. This gives SoftBank immediate access to substantial assets and deep industry relationships.
SoftBank’s involvement in AI infrastructure extends to other high-profile projects. The company is a key participant in the Stargate project, collaborating with OpenAI, Oracle, and MGX, a technology investor based in Abu Dhabi. This ambitious initiative involves billions of dollars in investments to build large-scale computing infrastructure purpose-built for advanced AI development. Plans include five computing facilities in Texas, New Mexico, and Ohio with a total power capacity of approximately 7 gigawatts.