Dec 29 (Reuters) - SoftBank Group will acquire digital infrastructure investor DigitalBridge Group in a deal valued at $4 billion, the companies said on Monday, as the Japanese investment firm looks to deepen its AI-related portfolio.
DigitalBridge shares had risen about 45% earlier this month after Bloomberg News first reported the talks.
As of Friday's close, the company had a market capitalization of about $2.54 billion.
The offer price of $16 per share represents a roughly 15% premium to DigitalBridge's closing price on Friday.
DigitalBridge shares trimmed their gains to about 10% in premarket trading.
SoftBank's billionaire founder Masayoshi Son is seeking to capitalize on surging demand for the computing capacity that underpins artificial intelligence applications.
DigitalBridge invests across digital infrastructure sectors such as data centres, cell towers, fiber networks, small-cell systems and edge infrastructure. Its portfolio includes companies such as Vantage Data Centers, Zayo, Switch and AtlasEdge.
As of September 30, DigitalBridge managed around $108 billion in assets, making it one of the largest dedicated investors in the digital ecosystem.
An acquisition would deepen SoftBank's exposure to digital infrastructure at a time when the Japanese conglomerate is positioning its portfolio to focus on assets tied to artificial intelligence.
SoftBank has ramped up investment in artificial intelligence as it seeks to position itself at the centre of what Masayoshi Son has called a once-in-a-generation technological shift.
The company, along with OpenAI, Oracle and Abu Dhabi-based tech investor MGX, is investing billions of dollars in the Stargate project, a large-scale computing and infrastructure initiative aimed at supporting advanced AI development.
OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank said in September they plan to build five new computing sites across Texas, New Mexico and Ohio, which are expected to have a combined power capacity of about seven gigawatts when in operation.
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