SoftBank to acquire DigitalBridge in $4bn buyout

March 2026 | DEALFRONT | PRIVATE EQUITY & VENTURE CAPITAL

Financier Worldwide Magazine

March 2026 Issue

Japanese investment group SoftBank has agreed to acquire digital infrastructure investor DigitalBridge Group in a transaction valued at $4bn.

Under the agreement, SoftBank will acquire all outstanding common stock of DigitalBridge for $16 per share in cash. The price reflects a premium of 15 percent to DigitalBridge’s closing share price on 26 December 2025 and 50 percent to the unaffected 52-week average closing price as of 4 December 2025. A special committee of DigitalBridge’s board, composed solely of independent directors, unanimously recommended the deal, which was subsequently approved by the full board.

On completion, DigitalBridge will operate as a separately managed platform led by Marc Ganzi, chief executive. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in the second half of 2026.

“As AI transforms industries worldwide, we need more compute, connectivity, power, and scalable infrastructure,” said Masayoshi Son, chairman and chief executive of SoftBank Group Corp. “DigitalBridge is a leader in digital infrastructure, and this acquisition will strengthen the foundation for next-generation AI data centers, advance our vision to become a leading ASI platform provider, and help unlock breakthroughs that move humanity forward.”

“The buildout of AI infrastructure represents one of the most significant investment opportunities of our generation,” said Mr Ganzi. “SoftBank shares our DNA as builders and long-term investors committed to scaling transformational digital infrastructure. Their vision, capital strength, and global network will allow us to accelerate our mission with greater flexibility, invest with a longer-term horizon on behalf of our investors, and better serve the world’s leading technology companies as they scale their AI ambitions.”

The acquisition deepens SoftBank’s exposure to digital infrastructure as the group repositions its portfolio around artificial intelligence. Alongside OpenAI, Oracle and Abu Dhabi-based MGX, SoftBank is a backer of Stargate, a large scale computing and infrastructure initiative intended to support advanced AI development. In September 2025, OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank announced five new US sites in Texas, New Mexico and the Midwest, bringing planned capacity to nearly 7GW; an October update specified Wisconsin as the Midwest location.

SoftBank has reallocated capital to fund these ambitions. In November 2025, it sold its entire holding in US chipmaker Nvidia for $5.83bn. Also in November, Yoshimitsu Goto, chief financial officer, said the group would need to divest parts of its existing portfolio to support more than $30bn of planned investment in OpenAI. In October 2025, SoftBank agreed a $5.4bn deal to acquire ABB’s robotics division. In August 2025, the company agreed to invest $2bn in Intel.

According to the deal announcement, buying DigitalBridge, a manager with a global footprint and deep sector expertise, will enhance SoftBank’s ability to originate, finance, operate and scale digital infrastructure opportunities worldwide. The agreement also highlights expectations of heightened regulatory scrutiny, reflecting the strategic nature of large scale digital infrastructure transactions and the increasing focus on national resilience. These factors may lengthen approval timelines but underline the importance of the assets being acquired while emphasising the continuing need for sustained investment to address rapidly expanding global AI infrastructure demands.

DigitalBridge invests across data centres, mobile towers, fibre networks, small cell systems and edge infrastructure. Its portfolio includes companies such as Vantage Data Centers, Zayo, Switch and AtlasEdge. Founded in 1991 as real estate focused Colony Capital, the business pivoted under Mr Ganzi to digital infrastructure and rebranded as DigitalBridge in 2021 after disposing of most legacy property assets. As of 30 September 2025, it managed approximately $108bn in assets, making it one of the largest dedicated investors in the digital ecosystem.

Richard Summerfield