DigitalBridge opens Tokyo office to expand in Japan

DigitalBridge has opened an office in Tokyo to lead the investment firm's expansion in Japan.

Soichiro Suda, who joined the company as Managing Director earlier this year, will lead investment activities in Japan and serve as its senior representative in the market. His remit includes identifying, evaluating, executing and managing investments across DigitalBridge's digital infrastructure portfolio.

The move gives DigitalBridge a local base in a market where it already invests in data centres, telecoms towers and connectivity assets. The new office is intended to help source deals, support closer work with portfolio companies and deepen ties with local partners.

Japan has become a growing focus for international infrastructure investors as demand for computing capacity and network links rises across the economy. That demand has been tied to artificial intelligence, broader cloud adoption and businesses' digital transformation.

Earlier this year, DigitalBridge launched Nippon Gateway Infrastructure, an enterprise data centre platform formed with JEXI. The platform was built around a portfolio of data centre facilities acquired from NEC.

Its holdings in Japan also include JTOWER, an independent telecommunications infrastructure company, and Vantage Data Centres, which operates hyperscale data centre capacity in Osaka. Together, those assets give the firm exposure across several segments of the digital infrastructure market as it expands its presence in the country.

Japan focus

The broader market backdrop has also drawn investor attention. The Japanese government has announced a long-term economic strategy calling for ¥101.6 trillion in combined public and private investment in artificial intelligence and semiconductors through 2040, equivalent to about USD $630 billion.

That policy direction has reinforced expectations of heavier spending on the digital systems needed to support data processing, storage and communications. Data centres and telecoms infrastructure are among the assets expected to benefit if those investment plans translate into projects on the ground.

DigitalBridge, based in Boca Raton, manages digital infrastructure investments across sectors including cell towers, data centres, fibre, small cells and edge infrastructure. It has operated in the broader digital investment market for more than three decades and has offices across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Suda brings more than 30 years of experience across energy, infrastructure advisory, asset management and investment banking. Before joining DigitalBridge, he was Chief Investment Officer at Japan Extensive Infrastructure.

He also spent seven years as a Managing Director at Macquarie Asset Management, where he worked on infrastructure investments in Japan. Earlier roles included Director positions at Ernst & Young Transaction Advisory, where he led infrastructure advisory, and at Storm Harbour Japan.

Before that, Suda spent 17 years at Mitsubishi Corporation in a range of energy and natural gas roles. His work there included project development in Australia, business development in Malaysia, treasury and finance, and liquefied petroleum gas marketing across Asia.

DigitalBridge's senior leadership said the Tokyo opening reflects Japan's importance to its strategy in Asia and the strength of its existing portfolio in the country. The firm has been active in the market for several years, but the new office marks a shift toward a more permanent local operating presence.

Marc Ganzi, Chief Executive Officer of DigitalBridge, linked the opening to the firm's existing footprint in towers and data centres.

"Japan has been an important market for DigitalBridge for many years, and we have built a differentiated platform spanning towers, hyperscale, and enterprise data centers," said Ganzi. "Soichiro's leadership, together with the opening of our Tokyo office, strengthens our ability to support the growth of our portfolio and continue investing behind Japan's growing demand for AI, cloud, and connectivity infrastructure."

Justin Chang, Senior Managing Director and Head of Asia at DigitalBridge, said Suda's background would support the firm's local activity.

"Japan is one of the most attractive digital infrastructure markets in Asia, with world-class enterprises and growing demand for AI, cloud, and connectivity infrastructure," said Chang. "Soichiro's deep experience across infrastructure investing, advisory, and finance strengthens our local investment capabilities and relationships in Japan. He plays an important role in advancing our investment activities and supporting our portfolio companies and partners across the market."

Soichiro Suda, Managing Director at DigitalBridge said the company sees a broad set of opportunities in the country.

"Japan is a highly strategic market for DigitalBridge, with significant opportunities emerging across data centers, connectivity, and the broader digital infrastructure ecosystem," said Suda. "Over the past several months, I've seen firsthand the strength of DigitalBridge's platform, global capabilities, and relationships in the Japanese market. I look forward to building on that foundation alongside our investment teams, portfolio companies, and local partners."