SoftBank Group Corp has announced it will purchase digital infrastructure investor DigitalBridge Group in a deal with an enterprise value of US$4 billion (A$6 billion).
The Japanese technology investment company said it would pay $16 cash per share, which represented premiums of 15% to the closing price on 26 December and 50% to the unaffected 52-week average closing price on 4 December.
The transaction, which reflects SoftBank's increasing focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and is expected to close in the second half of 2026, has been unanimously recommended by a committee of DigitalBridge’s independent directors.
SoftBank Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son said the acquisition would strengthen SoftBank’s ability to build, scale, and finance the foundational infrastructure needed for next-generation AI services and applications.
“As AI transforms industries worldwide, we need more compute, connectivity, power, and scalable infrastructure,” Masayoshi said in a press release.
“DigitalBridge is a leader in digital infrastructure, and this acquisition will strengthen the foundation for next-generation AI data centres, advance our vision to become a leading ASI platform provider, and help unlock breakthroughs that move humanity forward.”
DigitalBridge will continue to operate as a separately managed platform, led by Chief Executive Officer Marc Ganzi, who said SoftBank shared DigitalBridge’s 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,” Ganzi said.
Softbank sold all 32.1 million Nvidia shares it held in October for US$5.8 billion (A$8.9 billion).
DigitalBridge (NYSE: DBRG) shares closed $1.34 (9.63%) higher at $15.26 on Monday (Tuesday AEDT), capitalising the company at $2.88 billion.
DigitalBridge is a global alternative asset manager that invests in digital infrastructure, including data centres, cell towers, fibre networks and edge infrastructure.
