Nvidia plays matchmaker in Nordics, sources tell CNBC, as AI data center deals boom in region

Nvidia is playing matchmaker, trying to connect companies with its graphics processing units to data-center operators that have the capacity to deploy them in the Nordics, sources have told CNBC. While Nvidia has established an effective monopoly over the most powerful AI chips, it has worked to exert greater influence across the AI ecosystem as the race to build infrastructure accelerates. That reach extends through its software stack, relationships with governments and direct investments in other companies. The chip giant has also sought a role in AI infrastructure deals. Two sources familiar with the matter have told CNBC that Nvidia has offered to introduce companies with data centers in the Nordics, an increasingly sought-after AI infrastructure region, to firms with its GPUs that are in the market for capacity. The sources asked to remain anonymous when discussing private information. How Nvidia is playing matchmaker for AI infrastructure Their accounts add context to remarks by Nvidia Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress, who said in June that Nvidia had "certainly engaged" in "matchmaking" with companies. "How can we help them obtain land, power, shell?" she added. "How do we help them in terms of standing up the compute as fast as possible for what they need to do?" Gigawatts of data-center capacity are due to be built in the Nordics in the coming years, thanks to access to power and abundant land. Neoclouds and hyperscalers including Nebius and Microsoft have inked deals in the region in 2026. One source said that Nvidia had reached out to a data-center company, sounding out potential offtakers: customers that commit to buying or leasing computing capacity. This is part of what Nvidia sees as its "value proposition to GPU customers," the source said, adding that the chip giant "often" didn't name the companies on whose behalf it was reaching out. The other source told CNBC that Nvidia had also made introductions between a company building AI infrastructure and those with GPUs in the U.S. and Asia. Nvidia is "helping make sure people who have money and demand for GPUs also have data center space," they added. Nvidia did not respond to a request for comment from CNBC. The company typically sells its chips to original equipment manufacturers, or OEMs, which then build them into racks and servers before selling them on. But it often has relationships with the companies buying the end product. Why the Nordics are attracting AI data centers Access to power and land attracts builders to the Nordics, while the cooler climate is appealing as data centers need to keep chips from overheating. Numerous multi-hundred-megawatt facilities have been announced in Finland and Norway in recent months. Pure DC said in July it would invest 1.5 billion euros ($1.74 billion) to build a 110 MW campus in Finland, with the potential to scale beyond 550 MW. Arcem has plans for a site with up to 500 MW of capacity. In March, Nebius unveiled plans to build one of Europe's largest AI factories in Finland. In April, Microsoft announced it would take up extra computing capacity at an Nscale site in Norway. There is currently 2.3 GW of data center capacity queuing for future connections to the power grid, according to Statnett, the Norwegian grid operator. Oslo, Stockholm and Helsinki are among the top six locations worldwide for future data-center development potential, according to a report this month from real estate company Savills. "For AI-driven data centre growth, the Nordics offer one of the clearest delivery propositions globally," Rupert Duckworth, associate director, EMEA Data Centre Advisory at Savills, said in the report. "The region has increasingly become a focus for large-scale, AI-oriented development – with significant new campuses now progressing."