Nscale, the prominent AI data center startup headquartered in the U.K., has added former OpenAI, Meta, and Instacart executive Fidji Simo to its board of directors. Simo joins an impressive roster of tech leaders on Nscale's board, including Sheryl Sandberg, Susan Decker, and Nick Clegg, as the company prepares for an anticipated IPO this fall.

Previously serving as CEO of AGI Deployment at OpenAI—effectively the second-highest-ranking executive at the AI lab—Simo departed the company in July for health reasons. She continues to advise OpenAI on a part-time basis. Prior to her time at OpenAI, Simo held the positions of chair and CEO at Instacart, guiding the company through its 2023 IPO. Her career also includes over ten years at Meta, where she served as head of the Facebook app. Additionally, Simo is a board member at Shopify.

Josh Payne, founder and CEO of Nscale, described Simo as one of the rare leaders who grasps both the challenges of scaling products used by billions and the infrastructure demands those products create. "That's what we're building for at Nscale," he stated. "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 surged dramatically since its founding just two years ago, driven by soaring demand for AI infrastructure. The startup, which designs, constructs, and operates AI data centers, is reportedly seeking to raise up to $3.5 billion ahead of its planned IPO, according to Bloomberg, which cited unnamed sources last week.