SoftBank Group may announce a deal to acquire U.S. based alternative asset manager DigitalBridge Group as early as Monday, according to a Bloomberg News report citing people familiar with the matter. Following the report, DigitalBridge shares surged about 40 percent in pre market trading, adding to earlier gains recorded this month after initial reports of takeover talks.
Neither SoftBank nor DigitalBridge immediately responded to requests for comment, and Reuters said it could not independently verify the report. The potential acquisition comes as SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son seeks to take advantage of growing global demand for computing capacity that supports artificial intelligence applications.
DigitalBridge is a major investor in digital infrastructure, with interests spanning data centres, cell towers, fibre networks, small cell systems, and edge infrastructure. Its portfolio includes companies such as Vantage Data Centers, Zayo, Switch, and AtlasEdge, and as of September 30, the firm managed about 108 billion dollars in assets.
An acquisition would further strengthen SoftBank’s exposure to digital infrastructure as it reshapes its portfolio around artificial intelligence. The Japanese conglomerate is already investing heavily in the sector through the Stargate project alongside OpenAI, Oracle, and Abu Dhabi based MGX, with plans to develop large scale computing sites across several U.S. states to support advanced AI development.