Nscale appoints Fidji Simo to board ahead of potential $3.5B IPO
Nscale, a rapidly growing U.K.-based AI data center startup, has appointed Fidji Simo to its board of directors. Simo, formerly the CEO of AGI Deployment at OpenAI and previously the head of Instacart, joins a high-profile group of executives including Sheryl Sandberg and Nick Clegg. This strategic addition comes as Nscale prepares for a potential initial public offering later this year.
Key points
- Fidji Simo, former OpenAI and Instacart executive, joins Nscale’s board of directors.
- Nscale is reportedly raising up to $3.5 billion ahead of a planned IPO this fall.
- The board includes other prominent figures such as Sheryl Sandberg and Nick Clegg.
The startup, founded just two years ago by Josh Payne, has seen its valuation surge due to intense market demand for AI infrastructure. According to recent reports, Nscale is seeking to raise up to $3.5 billion in the lead-up to its IPO. Payne emphasized that Simo’s experience in scaling products used by billions of users is critical for Nscale’s mission to build robust underlying systems for the AI industry.
Simo’s departure from OpenAI in July was attributed to health reasons, though she continues to advise the company part-time. Her background includes leading Instacart through its 2023 IPO and serving as head of the Facebook app at Meta. Her appointment signals Nscale’s intent to align its governance with the operational rigor required for large-scale public market performance.
Nscale adds former OpenAI exec Fidji Simo to its board ahead of potential IPO
bing.com · 11 September 2026
Nscale, the buzzy U.K.-based AI data center startup, has appointed former OpenAI, Meta and Instacart executive Fidji Simo to its board.
Simo joins high-profile tech executives Sheryl Sandberg, Susan Decker and Nick Clegg on Nscale’s board ahead of the startup’s anticipated IPO this fall.
Formerly CEO of AGI Deployment at OpenAI, essentially the No. 2 executive at the AI lab, Simo left the company in July citing health reasons. She still advises the company on a part-time basis. Before OpenAI, Simo was chair and CEO of Instacart, where she led the company through its 2023 IPO. She also spent more than a decade at Meta, including as head of the Facebook app. Simo also sits on Shopify’s board.
Nscale’s founder and CEO, Josh Payne, said Simo is one of the few leaders who understand what it means to scale products used by billions of people and the demands those products place on the underlying systems.
“That’s what we’re building for at Nscale,” he said in a statement. “Fidji joins a board we’ve built deliberately, with the experience of scaling platforms to the largest in the world, and the independence, financial rigor and operating depth to which companies at this scale are held.”
Nscale’s valuation has skyrocketed since it was founded just two years ago on the back of booming demand for AI infrastructure. The startup, which designs, builds and operates AI data centers, is reportedly trying to raise up to $3.5 billion ahead of a planned IPO, Bloomberg reported last week, citing unnamed sources.
This text was published by bing.com and written by Kirsten Korosec. It is reproduced here with attribution so you can read it in full; the rights remain with the publisher. Read it at the source ↗
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