Nscale
"The engine of superintelligence"
London-based Nscale runs a full-stack AI/GPU cloud platform and on Aug 1, 2026 agreed to acquire Anyscale for $1.65 billion.
Nscale is a UK-headquartered (London) AI cloud infrastructure company that operates a "full-stack AI cloud platform" spanning GPU/CPU compute, networking, and storage infrastructure through to higher-level AI and platform services. Its product stack includes AI Services (inference endpoints, model fine-tuning, and a prompt workbench), Infrastructure Services (GPU and CPU compute, networking, and storage), Platform Services (managed Slurm and Kubernetes services, and virtual or bare-metal instances), and Fleet Operations tooling (a control center, observability, and a Radar API for monitoring compute fleets).
The company operates and partners on data centers across multiple countries, including Nscale-operated sites in Glomfjord and Narvik, Norway; Loughton, UK; and Texas and West Virginia in the United States, plus partner-operated capacity in Sines, Portugal; Keflavik and Blonduos, Iceland; Stavanger and Oslo, Norway; Slough, UK; and North Carolina, US. This multi-region data center footprint underpins its pitch to telecommunications companies, AI-native startups, and enterprises running large-scale AI training and inference workloads.
Nscale counts OpenAI, NVIDIA, Dell, and Nokia among the customers and partners featured on its website, and lists Aker ASA, a Norwegian industrial holding company, as both an investor and partner, reflecting the company's Nordic data-center strategy. Per Crunchbase, Nscale has raised capital across eight funding rounds, with investors including Pittco Management, Epping Forest Venture Partners, NVIDIA, G Squared, and Aker ASA, and reports 251-500 employees. The company is led by founder and CEO Josh Payne, with Donald Morrison as co-founder, David Power as CTO, and Karl Havard as Chief Commercial Officer.
On August 1, 2026, Nscale announced it is acquiring Anyscale, the company behind the Ray distributed-computing framework, for $1.65 billion, a deal intended to extend Nscale's full-stack AI cloud platform with Anyscale's distributed compute and orchestration technology. The company uses the tagline "The engine of superintelligence" to describe its infrastructure ambitions. Nscale's combination of owned and partner data centers, GPU cloud services, and now Ray-based distributed compute technology positions it as an infrastructure supplier to large AI model developers and enterprises rather than a robotics-specific vendor, though its compute services are increasingly used to train and serve the large AI models that power robotics and physical AI systems.
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
Nscale GPU Nodes (DGX Vera Rubin NVL72)
Bare-metal GPU compute nodes with 72 NVLink-connected Rubin GPUs, delivering up to 3,600 PFLOPS NVFP4 inference and 75TB fast memory.
Nscale AI Compute for Manufacturing
Scalable GPU cloud platform for training, fine-tuning and inference of manufacturing AI models, claiming up to 80% lower training cost.
Contact Nscale
WEBSITE
https://www.nscale.com/HEADQUARTERS
United Kingdom
Company Facts
Founded
2024
Primary Role
Software/Algorithm
Company Size
employees 100-500
Primary Region
Europe
Annual Sales
-
Funding Stage
-
Funding Total
-
LG Electronics Showcases Robotics at 2026 First Global Challenge in Incheon
LG Electronics is actively participating in the 2026 First Global Challenge, an international youth robotics competition taking place at Songdo Convensia in Incheon. The event, which runs from Wednesday to Saturday, gathers youth teams from 185 countries to design and build robots aimed at addressing global challenges, particularly focusing on wildfire prevention and recovery due to climate change. This year's competition, themed “Igniting Innovation,” emphasizes the importance of robotics in tackling pressing issues like wildfires. LG's involvement includes sponsoring the event and showcasing its latest robotics technologies at an exhibition booth. The company also features its humanoid robot, LG CLOiD, allowing visitors to engage with the technology and learn about the innovative solutions being developed by young participants. As LG increases its investment in robotics as a key growth area, it aims to integrate physical AI into its strategy. The company recently launched LG Data Factory to enhance data management for robotics training. No further timeline was disclosed at the time of publication.
All News
IROS 2026 Best Paper Finalists: South Korea Leads
Ten papers made the IROS 2026 Best Paper and Best Student Paper shortlist, four from South Korea. What each one does and what it means for industry.
Nscale Plans NYSE IPO Valued at $35 Billion, Seeks $3 Billion in Funding
Nscale, a British neocloud company, is preparing for its IPO on the NYSE, aiming for a valuation of $35 billion and seeking to raise $3 billion. The company, which spun out from Arkon Energy, has secured over $103 billion in contracts, primarily from Microsoft and Anthropic. The significance of Nscale's IPO lies in its reliance on major contracts, with 85% of its revenue coming from a $43.8 billion deal with Microsoft and a $44.6 billion agreement with Anthropic. The latter is contingent on Nscale meeting stringent financing milestones, which could impact its future revenue. Investors should monitor Nscale's financial performance, as its revenue surged to $140.6 million in the first half of the year, despite net losses increasing to $1.02 billion. The company has also secured $1 billion in convertible debt from Nvidia as part of a larger financing package. No further timeline was disclosed at the time of publication.
AI Funding & Investment Business Insights AI business capital markets
Nscale's Upcoming IPO to Gauge Investor Interest in AI Concentration Risks
Nscale, a British neocloud company, is preparing for its IPO, which will assess investor interest in a business heavily reliant on two major customers. The company has secured over $103 billion in contracts since its separation from Arkon Energy, with 85% of this revenue linked to a $43.8 billion deal with Microsoft and a $44.6 billion agreement with Anthropic. However, Anthropic's contract is contingent on Nscale achieving specific milestones, highlighting the risks associated with customer concentration. The significance of Nscale's IPO lies in its reflection of the interconnected nature of the AI industry, where many infrastructure providers depend on a limited customer base. Competitors like CoreWeave and Applied Digital also exhibit similar revenue dependencies, raising concerns about the industry's vulnerability to shifts from major players. Nscale's expected valuation of $35 billion and its goal to raise $3 billion in the offering underscore the stakes involved in this public offering. Looking ahead, Nscale's performance post-IPO will be closely monitored, especially given its substantial net losses and the competitive landscape that includes companies like Nebius and Lambda. No further timeline was disclosed at the time of publication.
AI ai data centers IPO neocloud nscale
Figure AI Launches Helix 2.5 Amid Industry Doubts on Robot Performance Metrics
Figure AI has unveiled Helix 2.5, which founder Brett Adcock claims is the company's most significant project to date. Valued at $39 billion, Figure AI is the world's most valuable private humanoid robotics firm. The Helix 2.5 aims to demonstrate its capabilities in real-world settings, having tested its robots in 30 residential units in the San Francisco Bay Area, performing tasks such as tidying living rooms, making beds, and folding towels. The significance of this launch lies in its ambitious goal to operate effectively in unfamiliar environments. The robot's performance was measured across three tasks, achieving a success rate of 67% for bed-making, 62% for towel folding, and 40% for toy organization, with an overall task success rate of 56%. Critics, including Sunday Robotics co-founder Tony Zhao, have raised concerns about the robot's reliability, emphasizing that the ability to generalize in various settings is crucial for practical applications. Looking ahead, Figure AI has partnered with Nscale, committing to an initial $3.5 billion in computational resources, with plans to deploy by the second half of 2027. The ongoing debate centers on whether the current success rates can improve significantly with expanded training data, as this will determine the viability of Figure AI's approach to humanoid robotics and its future in the industry.
Humanoid Robots Robotics Research AI Machine Learning
RobotToday Weekly Briefing August 31 – September 4, 2026
This week in robotics: NVIDIA agrees to buy Hugging Face for $12.93 billion, Figure signs a $3.5 billion compute deal with Nscale for up to 100,000 GPUs, Tesla launches steering-wheel-free Cybercabs in Austin under NHTSA scrutiny, and Uber and Wayve bring the UK its first autonomous rides. August 31 – September 4, 2026.
Figure Partners with Nscale to Deploy 100,000 GPUs for Humanoid Robot AI Training
U.S. robotics company Figure has entered a strategic partnership with UK-based Nscale to secure up to 100,000 GPUs for training its next generation of humanoid robots. This collaboration aims to meet the increasing data and computational demands of developing advanced AI models for general-purpose robotics, utilizing NVIDIA’s Vera Rubin platform. The partnership is significant as it represents an initial commitment of $3.5 billion, with plans to expand to over $6 billion. The deployment of this large-scale computing infrastructure is expected to begin in the second half of 2027 in Barstow, Texas. This investment will support Figure's Helix AI system, enhancing the capabilities of its humanoid robots by processing vast amounts of real-world data. Looking ahead, Figure is also scaling its Index dataset, which has gained over 264,000 downloads globally. This dataset is crucial for training AI models by capturing diverse human activities. The collaboration with Nscale is designed to create a comprehensive infrastructure for physical AI, facilitating the transition from model training to real-world deployment of humanoid robots. No further timeline was disclosed at the time of publication.
AI and Robotics
Nscale and Figure Forge $3.5 Billion Partnership for Humanoid Robot Computing
Nscale has entered into a multi-year partnership with Figure, committing $3.5 billion to deploy up to 100,000 Nvidia GPUs for Figure's next generation of humanoid robots. The agreement has the potential to exceed $6 billion, with initial deployments of Nvidia Vera Rubin GPUs set for Barstow, Texas, starting in the latter half of 2027. This partnership is significant as it positions Nscale as Figure's preferred compute provider and shareholder, while also exploring the integration of humanoid robots into Nscale's supply chain. The collaboration aims to enhance the capabilities of Figure's AI model, Helix, which relies on increased data and computing power to improve its performance. Looking ahead, the companies plan to leverage Nvidia's AI infrastructure to support Figure's models throughout their lifecycle, from training to deployment. No further timeline was disclosed at the time of publication.
AI AI Funding & Investment Robotics compute deal Figure
Nscale Partners with Figure to Provide $3.5 Billion in AI Cloud Computing Capacity
Nscale has entered into a significant agreement to provide a minimum of $3.5 billion in AI cloud computing resources to the robotics startup Figure. This partnership not only enhances Figure's technological capabilities but also signifies Nscale's commitment to supporting innovative robotics solutions. The collaboration is crucial as it allows Figure to leverage Nscale's extensive cloud infrastructure, which is essential for developing advanced robotic technologies. This investment underscores the growing importance of AI and cloud computing in the robotics sector, enabling startups like Figure to scale their operations and enhance their product offerings. Looking ahead, industry observers will be keen to see how this partnership evolves and the impact it has on Figure's growth trajectory. No further timeline was disclosed at the time of publication.
Figure AI Partners with Nscale for $3.5 Billion GPU Deployment to Enhance Humanoid Robotics
Figure AI, a California-based startup, has announced a strategic partnership with Nscale to deploy up to 100,000 NVIDIA GPUs under a multi-year agreement. This partnership includes an initial financial commitment of $3.5 billion, with potential scaling beyond $6 billion, aimed at enhancing the computational capabilities necessary for humanoid robotics. This collaboration is significant as it marks a shift in the robotics industry, where the focus is moving from mechanical engineering to computational power. Figure's leadership emphasizes that the future of autonomous physical labor relies heavily on onboard intelligence and data processing capabilities, particularly for their AI architecture, Helix. Looking ahead, the hardware rollout is set to commence in the second half of 2027 at Nscale's facility in Barstow, Texas. The partnership also involves an undisclosed investment from Nscale into Figure, indicating a deeper integration of Figure's humanoid robots within Nscale's infrastructure supply chains. No further timeline was disclosed at the time of publication.
US Nscale Figure
Software, Compute and Interaction at WRC 2026
47 WRC 2026 exhibitors supply robot software, compute or interaction — but only 19 call themselves software companies. Five open artefacts, licence-checked.
WRC 2026 Core Components: 137 Robot Parts Suppliers
The third report in the WRC 2026 series. Report 1 mapped all 248 exhibitors by category and Report 2 covered the 139 that build finished robots. This one covers the 137 that build what goes inside them.
WAIC Review 1/4: Embodied AI's Industrialization Wave: Financing Data, Unit Economics, and a Widening Split
China's embodied AI sector raised $12.5B in H1 2026, but WAIC 2026 speakers detailed ROI demands, power bottlenecks, and the mass-production-to-sales gap.
WAIC Review 4/4: From Port AGVs to Hospital Night Shifts: What WAIC 2026 Reveals About Real Robot Deployments
From 530+ AGVs at a Singapore port to robots on Apple's line, WAIC 2026 speakers shared concrete data on where embodied AI robots are actually working today.
Nscale Acquires Anyscale for $1.65 Billion to Enhance AI Compute Capabilities
Nscale, a British AI neocloud, is acquiring software startup Anyscale for $1.65 billion to expand its AI compute offerings. Anyscale specializes in scaling AI workloads across data centers and servers, having pivoted to support large language models and other AI tasks following the rise of GPT-3 in 2022. This acquisition aligns with Nscale's strategy to build vertically integrated solutions for compute needs, enhancing its capabilities in workload management and scaling. The acquisition is significant as it allows Nscale to deepen its involvement in the AI sector, particularly in managing and optimizing AI workloads. Anyscale's platform, built on the Ray framework, provides essential tools for developers, and its integration with Nscale's existing services will create a more robust infrastructure for AI applications. The deal also reflects the growing trend of consolidation in the AI industry as companies seek to capture a larger share of AI-related spending. Looking ahead, Nscale plans to leverage Anyscale's expertise while maintaining its branding and customer base. The startup's 200 employees will join Nscale, contributing to its ongoing projects and partnerships with major players like Microsoft and British Telecom. No further timeline was disclosed at the time of publication.
AI anyscale data center infrastructure nscale
US Restrictions on Chinese Humanoid Robots: The Full Map
Every US restriction on Chinese humanoid robots — NDAA Sec. 163, GUARD Act, the 1260H list — plus the supply-chain math and a 4-tier map of decoupling.
WAIC 2026: Embodied Intelligence Enters Industrial Deployment Era
WAIC 2026 in Shanghai (July 17–20) saw 200+ embodied intelligence companies, 300+ live robots, and first confirmed humanoid deployments in logistics and pharmacy. RobotToday engineering analysis.
When a Materials Giant Meets Robotics: Covestro at Automate 2026
At Automate 2026, Covestro brought Makrolon, Bayblend, Baysafe BEF and Vulkollan to robotics — tackling weight, heat, sensing and sustainability for humanoids and AGV/AMRs.
The EV Déjà Vu: Why China's Humanoid Robot Blitz May Be Winning the Battle — but Losing the War
China controls 80% of humanoid robot shipments and crushes hardware costs. But is winning the body enough? A deep analysis of the US-China robot war beyond the EV analogy.
NVIDIA and Emerald AI Join Leading Energy Companies to Pioneer Flexible AI Factories as Grid Assets
NVIDIA and Emerald AI have partnered with several major energy companies, including AES, Constellation, Invenergy, NextEra Energy, Nscale Energy & Power, and Vistra, to develop a new generation of AI factories. This initiative aims to enhance the integration of these facilities with the power grid, enabling them to operate more efficiently and generate valuable artificial intelligence applications. The collaboration was announced today, highlighting the growing intersection of AI technology and energy production. By leveraging advanced AI capabilities, the project seeks to optimize energy usage and improve operational performance in the energy sector.
