SoftBank in Talks to Acquire DigitalBridge as AI Infrastructure Deal Wave Accelerates

SoftBank Group Corp. is in advanced talks to acquire DigitalBridge Group Inc., a major investor in digital infrastructure, in a move that would give the Japanese conglomerate deeper exposure to the global data-center boom powering artificial intelligence.According to people familiar with the discussions, SoftBank is negotiating a deal that would take DigitalBridge private. Shares of DigitalBridge (NYSE: DBRG) jumped as much as 48% on the news and were last trading at $12.63, though deliberations remain ongoing and no agreement has been finalized.

DigitalBridge shares are up 30% year-to-date, giving the company an approximate market value of $2.6 billion.SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son has been aggressively repositioning the company around artificial intelligence, seeking to capitalize on surging demand for high-performance computing capacity.

DigitalBridge would represent a strategic fit. The firm manages about $108 billion in assets and owns stakes in some of the world’s largest digital infrastructure operators, including: AIMS, AtlasEdge, DataBank, Switch, Vantage Data Centers, Yondr Group. Analysts say the business could be a natural acquisition target for a large-scale asset manager with a broad fundraising platform. In an October research note, Raymond James analyst Ric Prentiss wrote that DigitalBridge would likely consider selling, but only at a “much higher than current levels” purchase price and under favorable terms.

SoftBank has a track record of major investments in asset management platforms. In 2017, it bought Fortress Investment Group for over $3 billion, later selling the stake in 2024 to Mubadala Investment Co. and Fortress management.

Son has more recently focused on massive AI-related infrastructure projects:In January, SoftBank, OpenAI, Oracle and Abu Dhabi’s MGX unveiled a proposed $500 billion AI infrastructure project called Stargate, aimed at building advanced data centers across the United States.SoftBank pledged to deploy $100 billion “immediately,” though progress slowed due to disagreements over data-center locations, market volatility, U.S. policy uncertainty, and financing obstacles.

OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank later announced five new Stargate sites across Texas, New Mexico, and Ohio, expected to reach 7 gigawatts of combined power capacity.To free up capital for AI expansion, Son disclosed this week that he was forced to sell a $5.8 billion stake in Nvidia, saying the decision left him “crying.”Sources say the DigitalBridge acquisition could materialize within weeks, though talks remain fluid.

If completed, the deal would give SoftBank direct ownership of one of the world’s most influential digital-infrastructure investment platforms at a time when data-center capacity, AI compute demands, and global cloud expansion are driving unprecedented capital flows into the sector.But for now, negotiations continue, and there is no certainty an agreement will be reached.

About SoftBank Group Corp.

SoftBank Group Corp. is a global technology holding company headquartered in Tokyo, known for its investments across telecommunications, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and high-growth technology platforms. The company operates the SoftBank Vision Funds, maintains strategic stakes in leading global tech firms, and is actively expanding its footprint in AI infrastructure and next-generation computing.

At the time of publishing, Stocks.News does not hold positions in companies mentioned in the article.