Nebius Chooses Kao Data for UK's AI Infrastructure Expansion

Some of the UK's most advanced research projects already call Kao Data's Harlow campus home.

Now the site is adding another major tenant, with AI cloud provider Nebius selecting the facility for a 22MW deployment that will support AI innovation across academia, research and industry.

The 10-year agreement will see Nebius host its AI cloud platform and managed inference service, Nebius Token Factory, at the Essex campus.

It also forms part of the company's wider £1.7bn (US$2.26bn) UK investment programme, announced this week.

The programme is aimed at expanding domestic compute capacity and supporting the Government's AI Opportunities Action Plan.

The deal represents one of the most significant deployments in the Kao Data's history and further reinforces Harlow's role as a hub for AI-focused infrastructure.

At a time when operators are competing to provide the power and capacity needed for ever more demanding AI workloads, the agreement highlights a growing need for specialist facilities for large-scale GPU computing.

Speaking on the announcement, Spencer Lamb, CEO of Kao Data, said: “Today marks a significant milestone in the evolution of the Kao Data portfolio and a landmark moment in the UK’s AI ambitions.

“Nebius is an impressive global AI cloud operator and we are delighted to welcome such a significant deployment into our Harlow data centre campus.

“This partnership proves that despite challenging macroeconomic circumstances, demand for industrial scale, UK-based, cutting-edge AI is high, with Kao Data the perfect platform for the latest AI workloads.”

Building capacity for AI workloads

Nebius has emerged as one of the fastest-growing providers of AI cloud services, developing a full-stack platform that supports organisations from model training through to deployment and inference.

A Reference Platform NVIDIA Cloud Partner, the company is expanding its global footprint as demand for AI infrastructure accelerates.

The Harlow deployment will add substantial UK capacity to that network, with part of the installation dedicated to Nebius Token Factory, a production-scale inference platform designed to help organisations deploy and optimise open AI models.

The investment is intended to support a broad range of users, from academic researchers and AI start-ups to enterprises seeking access to advanced computing resources.

“We’re pleased to be continuing our expansion in the UK with Kao Data,” said Andrey Korolenko, Chief Product and Infrastructure Officer at Nebius.

“The UK is a major destination for AI and is becoming an important part of Nebius’s global footprint.

“By bringing dedicated capacity to support inference workloads, we can enable UK AI builders and enterprises to achieve their AI goals.”

Infrastructure designed for AI

Kao Data's Harlow campus was engineered specifically for AI and advanced computing environments. The site operates on 100% renewable energy and uses HVO-powered generators to support its sustainability objectives.

Nebius will be hosted within Kao Data's KLON-03 facility, which incorporates direct-to-chip liquid cooling technology. The approach is designed to manage the heat generated by high-density AI infrastructure while reducing water consumption compared with more traditional cooling methods.

As operators seek to balance performance requirements with environmental considerations, such technologies are becoming increasingly important components of next-generation AI data centres.

Expanding the UK's compute footprint

The deployment forms part of Nebius' broader £1.7bn commitment to the UK and underscores the growing importance of domestic compute infrastructure to the country's AI strategy.

Alongside supporting research institutions and businesses, the new capacity is intended to help strengthen the UK's ability to develop and run AI workloads locally.

The announcement also aligns with wider efforts to expand the country's sovereign AI capabilities and reduce barriers to accessing advanced computing resources.

Kao Data is continuing to grow its own footprint to meet that demand. In addition to future expansion at Harlow, the company plans new developments in Park Royal, West London and Greater Manchester.

With one of the UK's largest AI cloud deployments now heading to Harlow, the campus is further cementing its role as a key destination for the advanced computing infrastructure underpinning the country's AI ambitions.