Nscale raises £1.5bn to deploy renewable-powered AI data centres and GPU compute
This article covers Nscale, an AI infrastructure startup, which has raised £1.5bn in a Series C funding round to accelerate global deployments of its vertically integrated AI infrastructure platform. The funding is intended to expand data centre capacity, engineering and operations teams, and support production‑grade AI workloads across Europe, North America and Asia.
Nscale has raised £1.5 billion in a series C funding round to accelerate global deployments of its vertically integrated AI infrastructure platform. The funding will be used to expand data centre capacity, engineering and operations teams, and support production-grade AI workloads across Europe, North America and Asia.
Why it matters
AI is shifting from research prototypes to production systems that need reliable, compliant and energy-aware infrastructure. Organisations running large language models and other GPU‑heavy workloads face shortages of specialised compute, supply‑chain complexity and rising demands for renewable power and local data governance. A company that can combine data centres, GPU fleets, networking and orchestration software under one roof addresses several of those bottlenecks at once — and that is the gap Nscale aims to fill.
Inside the product
Nscale builds and operates AI‑native data centres offering integrated GPU compute, networking, data services and orchestration software designed for production‑scale AI. The company emphasises renewable‑powered capacity and compliance for enterprise and national workloads, and its model is intended to reduce friction around hardware sourcing and deployment at scale.
The platform is presented as a vertically integrated stack that bundles hardware partners, GPU supply and site operations with software for orchestration and data pipelines. The new capital is earmarked to deepen the firm’s footprint across multiple regions and scale engineering and operations resources to support enterprise deployments.
Who are the investors?
Nscale’s round was led by Aker ASA and 8090 Industries, and included participation from Astra Capital Management, Citadel, Dell, Jane Street, Lenovo, Linden Advisors, Nokia, NVIDIA and Point72. The raise values Nscale at about $14.6 billion.
The company has also agreed to fold the Aker Nscale joint venture announced in July 2025 into Nscale; Aker will remain a leading shareholder and its CEO, Øyvind Eriksen, will continue on the Nscale board.
Øyvind Eriksen, CEO at Aker ASA, said:
This step strengthens execution by putting delivery and governance under one roof, while keeping continuity for the people and projects already underway. We have full confidence in Nscale’s ability to deliver responsibly in Norway over the long term, and we believe this positions the work for faster progress and durable value creation.
Rayyan Islam, General Partner at 8090 Industries, said:
We are living through a new era defined by AI, and the limiting factor is infrastructure. Compute, energy, and industrial-scale deployment capacity will determine which nations and companies lead the next generation of technological and economic progress. Nscale has built a platform uniquely capable of solving this challenge by vertically integrating the critical layers of AI infrastructure - from energy and data centers to compute and orchestration. At 8090 Industries, we invest in the systems that enable entire industries to scale and are proud to partner with Josh and the Nscale team as they build the foundational backbone for the global AI economy.
If you're researching potential backers in this space:
- Explore our list of AI venture capital firms in the UK
- Browse our directory of AI angel investors in the UK
Founder perspective
Josh Payne, Founder & CEO at Nscale, framed the moment in broad terms and set out the company’s ambition.
Josh Payne, Founder & CEO at Nscale, said:
This is the fourth industrial revolution; the world is changing at a rapid pace. Over the next 5 years, Artificial Intelligence will be integrated into every industry, every product, and every job. Accelerating drug discovery, extending human life, autonomizing travel and robotics, lifting productivity, and driving massive growth. This is leading to the largest infrastructure buildout in human history. Nscale is leading this buildout. We are building this foundation that the market sits on, the engine of superintelligence.
Alongside the financing, Nscale has added Sheryl Sandberg, Susan Decker and Nick Clegg to its board. Existing board members listed by the company include Josh Payne, Rael Nurick and Jacob Leschly.
The bigger picture
The deal highlights continuing interest from AI investors in companies that can close the gap between model development and model deployment. Strategic participation from hardware and systems companies such as NVIDIA, Dell and Lenovo suggests partners see value in a provider that can aggregate demand and deliver compliant, energy‑aware capacity.
For the UK and wider Europe, the announcement is another signal that infrastructure plays are drawing large pools of capital as governments and firms compete over compute capacity and data sovereignty. If Nscale follows through on deployment plans, it could accelerate availability of production‑grade AI capacity in regions that currently face supply constraints, while raising questions about local grid capacity, permitting and skills needed to operate at industrial scale.
They've invested in Nscale
Get to know these AI investors
Click here for a full list of 7,526+ startup investors in the UK