SoftBank in talks to buy DigitalBridge in AI push, asset manager’s shares rise 45% in single day — Inside the deal

SoftBank Group is eyeing another acquisition as it is in talks to acquire DigitalBridge Group Inc., the company led by Masayoshi Son. Bloomberg He reported that quotes were given from people familiar with the subject.

DigitalBridge is a private equity firm that invests in assets including data centers, and SoftBank’s talks come as the Japanese company accelerates its goal to capitalize on an AI-driven boom in digital infrastructure.

SoftBank is reportedly in talks to acquire New York-listed DigitalBridge and then enter into a potential deal to take it private, according to sources. Bloomberg.

According to a report prepared by Reuters The deal will likely be completed by the end of this year, according to a knowledgeable person.

The SoftBank-DigitalBridge deal could happen in the coming weeks, although negotiations are ongoing and a deal is not certain to be reached. Bloomberg he said in his report.

Investors have poured record capital into digital infrastructure this year, betting that rising power demand will turn data centers into prime real estate. McKinsey predicts that spending on AI-related infrastructure could reach $6.7 trillion by 2030.

SoftBank and DigitalBridge have not yet released an official statement on the issue.

DigitalBridge shares post biggest one-day gain

DigitalBridge shares rose as much as 45% at Friday’s close, marking their biggest one-day gain ever as news of SoftBank talks emerged. DigitalBridge stock price closed at $14.12, giving the company a market value of $2.58 billion after falling 13% this year.

Led by Chief Executive Officer Marc Ganzi, DigitalBridge’s assets under management stood at $108 billion at the end of September, according to the company’s website. Its portfolio includes digital infrastructure operators such as AIMS, AtlasEdge, DataBank, Switch, Vantage Data Centers and Yondr Group.

SoftBank aims to take artificial intelligence to a high level

Masayoshi Son, the billionaire who leads SoftBank, is trying to take advantage of the rapidly growing demand for computing capacity that underpins artificial intelligence applications.

In January, SoftBank, OpenAI, Oracle Corp. and along with Abu Dhabi’s MGX, announced a $500 billion project called Stargate to build data centers in the United States.

While SoftBank’s Son promised to deploy $100 billion “immediately,” Stargate’s rollout has been slower than expected, due in part to disagreements over where data centers should be located.

SoftBank initially sought project financing from outside investors including insurance companies, pension funds and investment funds, but some talks have slowed due to market volatility, uncertainty in U.S. trade policy and questions about financial valuations of AI hardware. Bloomberg News It was reported in May.