News

Startups

Artificial Intelligence

Europe

Nscale Raises 2 Billion Dollars in Largest European Series C Funding Round Ever

U.K. based hyperscaler Nscale reaches a 14.6 billion dollar valuation following a record breaking 2 billion dollar Series C funding round.

U.K. based hyperscaler Nscale reaches a 14.6 billion dollar valuation following a record breaking 2 billion dollar Series C funding round.

NewDecoded

Published Mar 10, 2026

Mar 10, 2026

4 min read

Image by NSCALE

Global Expansion and Infrastructure Scale

Nscale announced a 2 billion dollar Series C funding round today, the largest investment for a European technology company in history. This capital injection values the London based firm at 14.6 billion dollars and establishes it as a major player in global AI infrastructure. The round was led by Aker ASA and 8090 Industries, with support from investors including NVIDIA, Dell, and Citadel. This new funding will drive the deployment of specialized AI clusters across Europe, North America, and Asia. The investment allows Nscale to accelerate its development of vertically integrated systems, covering everything from GPU networking to data orchestration. CEO Josh Payne stated that the buildout of this infrastructure is part of the largest industrial shift in human history. The company aims to provide production grade environments for AI models at a massive scale. By focusing on full stack delivery, Nscale removes the primary bottleneck currently facing the AI market.

Leadership and Strategic Governance

Three prominent global executives have joined the Nscale Board of Directors to provide strategic oversight during this expansion. Sheryl Sandberg, Nick Clegg, and Susan Decker bring substantial depth in technology operations and international policy. Their inclusion marks a significant step in Nscale's effort to lead in both scaling and governance. Sandberg is known for her role in scaling Meta and Google, while Clegg provides expertise in global regulatory affairs. Nscale has also integrated the Aker Nscale joint venture directly into its corporate structure to streamline execution. This move places the Stargate Norway initiative under a single management roof to ensure faster progress on major projects. Aker ASA remains a leading shareholder, and its CEO will continue to serve on the Nscale board. The partnership continues to focus on utilizing renewable energy and local skills in the regions where they operate.

Sovereign AI and Sustainability

The company distinguishes itself by focusing on sovereign AI infrastructure that complies with regional data privacy laws. This approach is designed to meet the needs of governments and enterprises that require secure, localized compute power. By building its own data centers in energy rich locations, Nscale ensures long term reliability and efficiency. This model addresses the rising demand for jurisdictional control over sensitive AI training data. Sustainability remains a core component of the company's strategy, with a heavy focus on renewable power sources like hydroelectricity. Data centers in regions like Glomfjord and Narvik take advantage of natural cooling to reduce environmental impact. Nscale is dedicated to reusing waste heat and investing in regional infrastructure to benefit local communities. This commitment helps the firm maintain a positive long term role in the global tech ecosystem.

Decoded Take

Decoded Take

Decoded Take

Nscale's massive raise signals a fundamental shift where physical infrastructure control is as valuable as AI model development. By reaching a 14.6 billion dollar valuation, Nscale establishes a sovereign alternative to American cloud giants while navigating strict European data laws. The high profile board appointments suggest the company is preparing for intense geopolitical and regulatory scrutiny in the race for superintelligence. This record breaking investment underscores a hardware first strategy, prioritizing the deployment of massive GPU clusters as the ultimate competitive advantage.

Share this article

Related Articles