OpenAI Secures Major London HQ Following Stargate UK Pause

OpenAI has paused its Stargate UK infrastructure project – but it’s pressing ahead with a major bricks‑and‑mortar commitment in the English capital. 

The company has signed a lease for 88,500 square feet at Regent Quarter in King’s Cross, establishing its first permanent London base and marking a significant step in its UK growth.

The office, spanning Jahn Court and the Brassworks Building and developed by Endurance Land, will open in 2027 and will accommodate up to 544 employees. The expansion underpins hiring across research, engineering and commercial functions.

“The UK has an incredible depth of talent and a strong track record in AI,” says Phoebe Thacker, Global Head of Data Research Programmes and London site lead at OpenAI. “London is already a key hub for our research and teams, and this new office gives us the space to keep building here.

“We’re seeing real momentum in how businesses, developers and institutions across the UK are using AI, and we want to support that growth. This investment reflects our long-term commitment to the UK and the role it can play in shaping how AI is developed safely and used to benefit people all over the world.”

London’s role in research and adoption

OpenAI recently designated London as its largest research hub outside the US. 

Around 200 employees are currently based in the city, working across research, engineering, customer support, integrity, enterprise, startups, policy, communications, marketing and sales, with further growth planned.

London teams already contribute to core areas of OpenAI’s work, including Codex and the company’s latest models. As the footprint scales, London is expected to remain central to research and product development, integrity, and support for UK businesses, developers and institutions.

OpenAI points to the UK as one of the world’s leading AI markets, home to thousands of AI companies and tens of thousands of professionals. Its investment aims to bolster this ecosystem and drive innovation, productivity and economic growth. 

UK organisations using OpenAI technology range from established names like NatWest to startups such as Veed, alongside academic institutions including the University of Oxford.

Why Stargate UK was paused

Days before confirming the new London base, OpenAI said it had paused its multi‑billion‑dollar data centre project in North Tyneside, citing high energy costs and ongoing regulatory uncertainty.

Unveiled in 2025 with hardware partners Nscale and NVIDIA, Stargate UK was positioned as a pillar of national tech strategy, intended to strengthen sovereign computing capacity. 

Early plans called for around 8,000 GPUs in the first quarter of 2026, scaling to roughly 31,000 GPUs over time to support advanced workloads in regulated sectors such as finance and national security.

“We see huge potential for the UK’s AI future,” an OpenAI spokesperson said following news of the suspension. “London is home to our largest international research hub and we support the government's ambition to be an AI leader.”

Commitment to UK priorities

OpenAI says it remains focused on priorities set out in its 2024 memorandum of understanding with the UK Government. Since then, the company has introduced data residency for UK customers, signed agreements with the Ministry of Justice and launched an SME Accelerator to help smaller firms build AI skills.

“The expansion of OpenAI’s operations in London will have real benefits for the UK,” says Antony Walker, Deputy CEO at techUK.

“This investment will further deepen the UK’s pool of AI knowledge, talent and research and help to keep the UK at the forefront of the development and deployment of AI globally.”

Oliver Jackson, Director at Endurance Land, called the Regent Quarter letting a “pivotal moment” for the campus as a destination for “pioneering organisations shaping the future of their industries". 

He added: “As we continue to evolve the estate, our ambition at Endurance Land is to create a campus for knowledge-led occupiers that attracts and supports leading global innovators, fostering a dynamic ecosystem defined by collaboration, innovation and long-term growth.”