The Times Tech Podcast The $14 billion Nscale story and how founders succeed in Silicon Valley
4 snips
Mar 13, 2026 Alice Bentinck, CEO of Entrepreneurs First, a talent investor that backs founders before they have ideas. She discusses how to build the next generation of tech founders. Conversation covers EF’s people-first model, traits they look for in founders, differences between US and European startup cultures, and bold deep-tech bets like space robots and brain interfaces.
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Right Time Right Market Made Nscale Meteoric
- Josh Payne's rapid rise shows the current AI moment rewards being in the right place at the right time.
- Massive hyperscaler spend and demand for AI infrastructure created space for new 'neo-cloud' players like Nscale.
Coal Miner To Data Center Buyer In Two Weeks
- Josh Payne went from coal miner reading The 4‑Hour Workweek to buying a data center in Norway after a two‑week trip.
- He signed a letter to buy a data center in Oslo after a 24‑hour journey and two weeks' stay, illustrating fast, bold moves.
Hyperscaler Spending Creates Partner Opportunity
- Hyperscalers are spending roughly $500–600bn a year on data centres, creating huge partner demand.
- That trillion‑dollar two‑year spend means companies like Nscale can position as necessary partners to hyperscalers.
