AI data center builder Nscale raises $3.36B ahead of IPO

Nscale Ltd. has successfully raised $3.36 billion in funding to fuel its data center construction efforts, as announced today. This capital will be received in two tranches, with the first $2.26 billion incoming soon from a consortium including Third Point, Apollo, Citadel, and numerous other institutional investors. Nvidia Corp. will contribute the remaining $1 billion in mid-November.

According to Nscale's founder and CEO, Josh Payne, this funding milestone is crucial as the company aims to scale its full-stack AI infrastructure to meet increasing global demand. The financing will be raised through the issuance of convertible notes, which will be exchanged for stock after the company's upcoming IPO. These convertible notes will convert into shares immediately following Nscale's public offering.

The company is targeting a valuation of $35 billion, aiming to raise a total of $3 billion. Nscale's pitch to investors emphasizes its existing $103 billion Total Contracted Value (TCV) in data center projects, with significant revenue expected from partnerships with Microsoft Corp. and Anthropic PBC. The company's vertically integrated approach involves designing and constructing data centers, as well as their supporting power infrastructure.

For instance, Nscale is constructing an AI campus in West Virginia featuring an on-site microgrid capable of generating 2 gigawatts of power when operational in early 2028, along with energy storage systems to mitigate potential fluctuations in energy generation. Unlike most of Nscale's other sites, the West Virginia campus will be completely off-grid.

Additionally, the company currently operates 16 data centers, owning five of them directly while the rest are managed by partners. Nscale's construction strategy focuses on areas with electricity prices approximately 70% lower than major U.S. power markets. The company is also heavily invested in custom software development, having recently launched an AI tool to automate troubleshooting in its graphics card clusters and acquired Anyscale Inc. for $1.65 billion to bolster its software capabilities.