Nebius Group raises $3 billion to grow AI cloud business

AI infrastructure company Nebius Group made a big splash the past couple of days and proves that the right type of technology will draw investors to an increasingly hot market.

On the heels of its $17.4 billion deal yesterday with Microsoft, Nebius Sept. 10 said it planned to raise $3 billion to fuel growth in its core AI cloud business. 

While not directly a cybersecurity play, security pros said securing the AI data centers Nebius intends to support will become a huge part of the ongoing investment.

“Data security is foundational to building safe and trustworthy AI systems,” said Margaret Cunningham, director, security and AI strategy at Darktrace. “AI data centers have become critical infrastructure, and their impact extends well beyond the digital realm. These facilities rely on power, water, and have complex supply chains, which means an attack on any supporting systems can be as disruptive as a direct compromise of servers. Disabling cooling or interrupting energy delivery can halt operations and trigger cascading effects that reach into communities and impact the lives of real people.”

The Nebius news comes on what has been a busy week for investors in the cybersecurity and AI field.

On Monday, Netskope reported that it was seeking a $6.5 billion IPO bid. On Tuesday, Mitsubishi Electric said it was buying Nozomi Networks for nearly $1 billion. Also on Tuesday, Accenture reported it acquired Canada-based IAMConcepts to bolster the consultancy's ability to deliver advanced IAM solutions in Canada.

John Carberry, Solution Sleuth at Xcape Inc., added that it’s clear investor interest has surged in AI and cybersecurity, though it's not uniform. Carberry said larger investments are going to technologies considered game-changing or building essential infrastructure, such as AI platforms, operational technology security, and toward companies with global scalability.

“Investors see these as long-term speculations with significant potential, while more established or specialized cybersecurity firms might struggle to raise funds,” said Carberry. “What's remarkable is the rapid influx of capital driven by the AI/cyber convergence, indicating a market rebound, but with a very selective focus.”