Nvidia, Microsoft, and OpenAI have announced partnerships with U.K. cloud computing startup Nscale for major AI infrastructure projects. Nscale, which emerged from stealth in May 2024 as a spinoff from crypto mining firm Arkon Energy, has rapidly become a key player in the U.K.’s efforts to establish itself as a global AI hub. The company, based in London, raised $155 million in its Series A fundraising round last December. Nscale provides end-to-end AI infrastructure by combining data centre space, power, and GPUs with proprietary software.
Nscale has signed a five-year, $6.2 billion agreement with Microsoft and Aker to develop hyperscale AI infrastructure in Europe, particularly in Norway. This follows OpenAI’s previous announcement of plans for a data centre in Norway, branded Stargate, with Nscale committing $1 billion to the project. The goal is to install 100,000 Nvidia graphics processing units (GPUs) at the site by 2027. Microsoft is investing $15.5 billion in computing equipment in the U.K., and plans to work with Nscale to construct what will become the U.K.’s largest supercomputer in Loughton.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang revealed that the chipmaker has made a £500 million equity investment into Nscale. Huang stated that Nscale could be a national champion for AI infrastructure in the U.K.. Microsoft President Brad Smith added that the deal represents a major vote of confidence in Nscale. CEO Josh Payne previously highlighted that the company aims to tackle the lack of computing capacity and a fragmented market in Europe.
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