British AI infrastructure startup Nscale has raised a record $1.1 billion in its Series B, marking the largest such round in UK and European history. Led by Norwegian energy conglomerate Aker ASA, which invested $285 million in cash and land and acquired a 9.3% stake, the round also saw participation from global tech giants NVIDIA, Nokia, Dell, Point72, Fidelity Management & Research, and T.Capital. This oversubscribed round accelerates Nscale’s growth across Europe, North America, and the Middle East, with a mission to deliver sovereign-grade AI infrastructure through vertically integrated data centers and managed AI services.globenewswire+3
Strategic Partnerships Drive Expansion
The fresh capital arrives on the heels of Nscale’s landmark agreements to build major AI infrastructure with Microsoft, NVIDIA, and OpenAI. Nscale and Microsoft are set to build the UK’s largest AI supercomputer in Loughton, offering 50MW capacity and initially deploying 23,040 NVIDIA GB300 GPUs in early 2027. Meanwhile, the Stargate UK initiative, created with OpenAI and NVIDIA, will deliver platforms designed for sovereign AI workloads, with OpenAI planning to use up to 8,000 NVIDIA GPUs initially, scaling to 31,000 over several years. These projects coincide with broader plans to roll out 300,000 NVIDIA GPUs worldwide.finance.yahoo+2
Additionally, Nscale’s partnership with Aker and OpenAI led to Stargate Norway—a 230MW, renewable-powered data center in Narvik, aiming to deploy 100,000 NVIDIA GPUs by 2026.reuters+3
AI Infrastructure Investment Boom
Nscale’s ambitious rollout exemplifies the capital flood into AI infrastructure. Deloitte and The New York Times report that global demand for AI data centers is projected to triple by 2030, necessitating $3.7–$7 trillion in investments. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang estimates 2025 AI infrastructure spending at $600 billion, rising to $3–4 trillion before the decade closes. Nscale CEO Josh Payne stated, “We are building one of the largest global platforms of its kind – purpose-built to meet surging demand and unlock breakthroughs at unprecedented scale”.deloitte+2
Nscale’s rise also points to Europe’s increasingly competitive posture in the global AI race, offering sovereign data infrastructure backed by significant public and private funding.
By combining record capital inflow, strategic partnerships with leading tech companies, and a commitment to energy-efficient, sovereign-grade infrastructure, Nscale is emerging as a pivotal player in the global AI landscape. Its mega-scale UK and Norway data centers offer a blueprint for future expansion as the AI revolution transforms data center investment and national tech strategies worldwide.nscale+4
Key Citations:
GlobeNewswireglobenewswire
Reutersreuters
MarketScreenermarketscreener
PRNewswireprnewswire
Yahoo Financefinance.yahoo
Deloittedeloitte
Nscale Press Releasenscale
New York Timesnytimes
NVIDIA Newsnvidianews.nvidia
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