SoftBank Group will acquire AI infrastructure investment firm DigitalBridge for about $4 billion, sharply expanding its investment in the AI infrastructure field. The acquisition is part of a strategy to strengthen SoftBank's artificial superintelligence (ASI) platform vision by securing next-generation AI data centers and digital infrastructure.
DigitalBridge said on the 29th (local time) that SoftBank agreed to acquire all of its outstanding shares for $16 per share. The purchase price reflects a premium of about 15% over the closing price on the 26th. The acquisition process is expected to be completed in the second half of next year.
DigitalBridge is a global asset manager that invests in AI and digital infrastructure assets such as data centers, fiber-optic networks, and wireless base stations. Through this transaction, SoftBank will further strengthen its AI infrastructure institutional sector investment portfolio.
Masayoshi Son said, "As AI transforms industries around the world, more computing and connectivity, power, and infrastructure are needed," and added, "Through this acquisition, we will strengthen the foundation of next-generation AI data centers and accelerate our vision to become a leading artificial superintelligence platform provider."
SoftBank plans to operate DigitalBridge as a separate platform led by Chief Executive Officer Mark Ganzi, as before, after the acquisition.
Meanwhile, shares of DigitalBridge, listed on the New York Stock Exchange, were trading in the mid-$15 range at one point in the afternoon, up more than 9% from the previous close, Eastern time.