Nscale Secures $790M to Expand Norwegian AI Data Center
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Nscale Secures $790 million to Expand Norwegian AI Data Center

The financing will fund the development of the largest AI infrastructure investment in Norway.

5/12/2026
Ali Abounasr El Alaoui
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London-based AI infrastructure specialist Nscale has announced a significant new financing deal, securing $790 million to advance its ambitious data center project in Narvik, Norway. This substantial investment, backed by a consortium of major European financial institutions, represents the largest single commitment to AI infrastructure in Norwegian history. The funding is set to accelerate the development of a state-of-the-art facility designed to meet the exponential growth in demand for high-performance computing power.


A Major Financial Commitment

The financing was arranged by a powerful syndicate of banks, with ABN AMRO Bank N.V., DNB Bank ASA, and Nordea Bank Abp acting as Bookrunners. They were joined by Export Finance Norway and Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB as Mandated Lead Arrangers, demonstrating broad financial sector confidence in the project. This collaborative effort ensures the necessary capital is in place to push forward with the large-scale development plans for the Narvik campus.

This capital injection is specifically earmarked for the continued construction and operational scaling of the Narvik AI data center, a cornerstone of Nscale's strategy. The agreement also contains a crucial uncommitted accordion feature, providing the option for an additional $790 million to finance a future 115MW expansion. This forward-looking financial structure provides Nscale with the flexibility to scale its operations rapidly in response to market demand.

Sustained Growth and Investor Confidence

This latest funding round is part of a larger pattern of impressive financial momentum for the company, which was founded only in 2023. It follows closely on the heels of a $1.4 billion Delayed Draw Term Loan secured in February 2026 and a landmark $2 billion Series C funding round in March 2026. That Series C round, led by Aker ASA and 8090 Industries, resulted in the company achieving a remarkable $14 billion valuation.

Nscale has rapidly emerged as one of the UK's most prominent beneficiaries of the global surge in demand for generative AI technologies. The company's meteoric rise has been supported by some of the industry's most powerful and influential figures, including strategic backers like NVIDIA and OpenAI. This high-profile support underscores the critical importance of Nscale's mission to build out the foundational infrastructure for the AI revolution.

Vision for Global AI Leadership

According to Founder and CEO Josh Payne, these combined financial developments are instrumental in cementing the company's market leadership. "Together, these developments position Nscale at the forefront of global AI infrastructure," he stated, emphasizing the company's enhanced capabilities. Payne affirmed that the firm is now primed to deliver scalable, high-performance capacity to meet the rapidly growing demand for its specialized services.


The successful closure of this $790 million financing round is a transformative event for Nscale, significantly strengthening its position in the global AI data center landscape. This strategic capital not only ensures the timely development of the critical Narvik facility but also equips the company to meet future technological challenges. As the demand for AI compute continues to soar, Nscale's Norwegian project is set to become a vital hub in the global technology ecosystem.