Nscale adds former OpenAI exec Fidji Simo to its board ahead of potential IPO

Details

Nscale, founded just two years ago, has rapidly become one of Europe's most prominent AI infrastructure companies, designing and operating data centers against the backdrop of surging compute demand. The startup is reportedly seeking to raise up to $3.5 billion ahead of a planned fall IPO, according to Bloomberg. The board appointment of Fidji Simo is a calculated IPO-readiness move. Simo served as CEO of AGI Deployment at OpenAI — effectively the No. 2 executive at the lab — before leaving in July citing health reasons, while continuing to advise the company part-time. Before OpenAI, she guided Instacart through its 2023 IPO as chair and CEO, and spent over a decade at Meta leading the Facebook app. She also serves on Shopify's board. Nscale's board now includes Sheryl Sandberg (former Meta COO), Susan Decker (former Yahoo president), and Nick Clegg (former Meta VP of Global Affairs). CEO Josh Payne framed the hire as bringing 'the experience of scaling platforms to the largest in the world.' The appointment strengthens Nscale's IPO narrative, but its two-year trajectory from founding to a potential multi-billion public offering invites scrutiny over whether AI infrastructure valuations can hold as market conditions shift.