What changed: Fidji Simo has been appointed to Nscale's board, joining Sandberg, Decker, and Clegg.
UK-based AI data center startup Nscale has appointed former OpenAI, Meta, and Instacart executive Fidji Simo to its board. Simo joins prominent tech executives Sheryl Sandberg, Susan Decker, and Nick Clegg ahead of the company's anticipated initial public offering.
Before taking on the CEO of Applications role at OpenAI in May 2025, Simo served as chair and CEO of Instacart, where she led the company through its 2023 IPO. She also spent more than a decade at Meta, most recently as head of the Facebook app. In July 2026, she stepped down from her full-time position at OpenAI citing health reasons and continues to advise the company on a part-time basis.
Nscale founder and CEO Josh Payne said Simo is one of the few leaders who understands what it means to scale products used by billions of people and the demands those products place on underlying systems. The company, which designs, builds, and operates AI data centers, counts NVIDIA, Fidelity, Blue Owl, Aker ASA, Point72, and Nokia among its investors.
Key facts
- Fidji Simo has been appointed to Nscale's board of directors.
- She joins Sheryl Sandberg, Susan Decker, and Nick Clegg on the board.
- Simo left her full-time role at OpenAI in July 2026 citing health reasons and continues in a part-time advisory capacity.
- Nscale designs, builds, and operates AI data centers and is headquartered in the UK.
- The company's investors include NVIDIA, Fidelity, Blue Owl, Aker ASA, Point72, and Nokia.
Why it matters
As Nscale prepares for a potential IPO, the board appointment signals an effort to build investor confidence through experienced industry leadership.
Watch next: Nscale's IPO timeline and terms will be closely watched by the market.
Source date: 2026-09-14T01:21:05.329Z · Verification confidence: 85/100
