SoftBank Group has announced its acquisition of digital infrastructure investor DigitalBridge Group in a deal valued at $4 billion, marking a strategic move by the Japanese investment firm to bolster its artificial intelligence (AI)-related portfolio. This acquisition is set to significantly expand SoftBank's exposure to critical digital infrastructure, aligning with the conglomerate's strategic pivot towards artificial intelligence.

The agreement outlines an offer of $16 per share, which represents a 15% premium over DigitalBridge's closing price on Friday and values the company at $2.92 billion. Following the initial reports of acquisition talks by Bloomberg News, DigitalBridge shares saw a rise of approximately 9.7% to $15.27 on Monday, building on a 45% increase earlier in the month. The deal is projected to be finalized in the second half of the coming year.

SoftBank's billionaire founder, Masayoshi Son, is actively seeking to capitalize on the escalating demand for computing capacity, which forms the fundamental backbone of advanced artificial intelligence applications. Jacob Yahiayan, CEO at DigitalBridge investor Urban Logistic Advisory Services, highlighted the acquisition as a significant milestone in addressing critical infrastructure challenges, though he noted that SoftBank still has considerable ground to cover to achieve a substantial global market share in hardware- and software-as-a-service.

DigitalBridge specializes in investments across crucial digital infrastructure sectors, including data centers, cell towers, fiber networks, small-cell systems, and edge infrastructure. Its robust portfolio features prominent companies such as Vantage Data Centers, Zayo, Switch, and AtlasEdge. The company, initially founded in 1991 as the real estate-focused Colony Capital, underwent a significant transformation under CEO Marc Ganzi. It strategically pivoted its focus to digital infrastructure and rebranded as DigitalBridge in 2021, after divesting most of its traditional property assets.

Marc Ganzi will continue to lead DigitalBridge as a separately managed platform post-acquisition, as confirmed by both companies. As of September 30, DigitalBridge managed approximately $108 billion in assets, establishing its position as one of the largest dedicated investors within the digital ecosystem. Furthermore, DigitalBridge is a key investor, alongside OpenAI, Oracle, and Abu Dhabi-based tech investor MGX, in the Stargate project. This initiative involves billions of dollars in investment towards a large-scale computing and infrastructure project designed to support advanced AI development. In a related move, SoftBank, OpenAI, and Oracle announced in September their plans to construct five new computing sites across Texas, New Mexico, and Ohio, which are expected to achieve a combined power capacity of around seven gigawatts once operational.