CommonAI picks Kao Data for UK scaling inference lab

CommonAI has selected Kao Data to host the UK's Scaling Inference Lab at its Harlow data centre campus, with backing from ARIA.

Under the agreement, CommonAI will deploy at least five high-density AI clusters across two dedicated technology suites at the site, creating a national testbed for startups developing AI infrastructure and related systems.

The lab is intended to provide a neutral environment where emerging AI technologies can be tested and benchmarked against commercial systems. The Harlow site was chosen in part for its location between London and Cambridge, two of the UK's main AI startup hubs.

The deployment will use a mix of graphics processing units and accelerators from Nvidia and AMD. These include Nvidia HGX B300 systems based on Blackwell Ultra architecture, Nvidia H200 NVL and RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell GPUs, and AMD Instinct MI350X accelerators, installed in servers from Supermicro, MSI, Fujitsu and Dell.

All five clusters are due to become operational by early 2027. The organisations involved said each cluster will test a different approach to AI infrastructure, including pipeline parallelism, heterogeneous orchestration and nanosecond optical circuit switching.

Funding push

The project is part of a wider UK effort to build domestic AI computing infrastructure. ARIA launched the Scaling Inference Lab earlier this year with a £50 million commitment, and the UK government later announced more than £20 million in additional funding to establish national capacity for new AI compute systems.

The lab is being built on a six-month cycle, with a new experimental cluster planned every six months. The aim is to give startups access to shared rack-scale systems so they can test their technology against emerging workloads without having to build full infrastructure of their own.

Technology partners already involved include Quettaflop AI, Callosum and Oriole Networks. Further partners have yet to be named.

Kao Data, which operates specialist data centre facilities for AI and advanced computing, said the Harlow campus runs on 100% certified renewable energy. The company has been expanding around London and in the north of England as demand grows for AI-related hosting and compute capacity.

For CommonAI, the arrangement provides access to a site designed for dense computing installations at a time of sharply rising demand for power, cooling and space for AI systems. It also places the lab near investors, researchers and startup communities in two of the country's most active technology corridors.

David Stringer, partnerships lead for the Scaling Inference Lab at CommonAI, said the Harlow location was central to the decision. "Kao Data's Harlow campus is perfectly situated between London and Cambridge, two of the UK's most important AI hubs, making it the ideal home for the Scaling Inference Lab," Stringer said.

"With advanced levels of security and a distinctive design, the campus provides us with a solid environment to welcome startups, investors and policymakers into the lab, and provides UK innovators with a neutral place to prove their technologies at rack scale - strengthening and supporting the Government's wider AI ambitions," he said.

National infrastructure

The agreement also reflects a broader policy focus on sovereign AI infrastructure in the UK, as governments and industry groups seek to reduce reliance on overseas computing resources and support local technology development.

Spencer Lamb, chief executive officer at Kao Data, said the company's track record in supporting advanced computing workloads made the site a strong fit for the initiative. "Kao Data has a long heritage of hosting some of the UK's most advanced AI and supercomputing workloads, and we are proud to become home to the Scaling Inference Lab," Lamb said.

"The work taking place at our Harlow campus will help shape the next generation of UK AI, ensuring the country remains a leader in AI development while meeting the growing demand for sovereign, homegrown AI infrastructure and the resources needed to support the country's world-leading startup community," he said.