SoftBank Deepens Its AI Infrastructure Push
Japan-based SoftBank announced Monday that it will acquire DigitalBridge, a major global data center investment firm, in a $4 billion all-cash deal aimed squarely at expanding its artificial intelligence footprint.
Under the terms of the agreement, SoftBank will purchase all outstanding shares of DigitalBridge for $16 per share, representing a 15% premium to the company’s December 26 closing price. The transaction was unanimously approved by a special committee of DigitalBridge’s board.
Shares of DigitalBridge jumped roughly 10% on the announcement, extending a rally that had already pushed the stock up as much as 50% following reports that a deal was imminent.
Why This Deal Matters for AI Investors
The acquisition underscores how critical data center ownership and control have become as AI adoption explodes globally.
SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son framed the deal as a strategic building block for the firm’s long-term AI ambitions.
“As AI transforms industries worldwide, we need more compute, connectivity, power, and scalable infrastructure,” Son said, adding that the acquisition will help position SoftBank as a leader in what he calls “Artificial Super Intelligence.”
AI models are becoming larger, more power-intensive, and more geographically distributed — forcing technology giants to secure long-term access to data centers and energy infrastructure.
DigitalBridge: A Strategic Infrastructure Platform
DigitalBridge specializes in owning and operating digital infrastructure assets, including data centers, fiber networks, and towers. As of late September, the company reported approximately $108 billion in assets under management, positioning it as a key player in the AI infrastructure ecosystem.
DigitalBridge CEO Marc Ganzi said SoftBank’s backing would allow the firm to think bigger and longer-term:
“The buildout of AI infrastructure represents one of the most significant investment opportunities of our generation.”
He added that SoftBank’s capital strength and global reach would allow DigitalBridge to accelerate investment and better serve large technology customers scaling AI workloads.
A Broader Shift in SoftBank’s Strategy
The deal follows a series of moves by SoftBank to realign its portfolio around AI.
Recently, SoftBank sold its entire stake in Nvidia for $5.83 billion, freeing up capital to increase exposure to AI platforms and infrastructure — including OpenAI and now DigitalBridge.
Rather than focusing solely on chipmakers, SoftBank appears to be pivoting toward the physical backbone of AI, where power, land, and compute capacity may become even more valuable over time.
WSA Take
AI isn’t just a software story anymore — it’s an infrastructure arms race. SoftBank’s acquisition of DigitalBridge signals that controlling data centers and power assets could be just as strategic as owning AI models themselves.
For investors, this deal reinforces a growing theme: the picks-and-shovels of AI — data centers, energy, and connectivity — may offer some of the most durable long-term opportunities in the sector.
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