ByteDance gained access to over 2,000 NVIDIA B200 GPUs through UK-based data center firm Nscale with Norwegian operations, routing around direct US export controls.

UK-based Nscale, operating under the "neocloud" brand, built its business around a major contract with Spring, a ByteDance subsidiary. The arrangement provided Spring with access to 2,304 Nvidia B200 chips housed at Nscale's data center in Glomfjord, Norway. The partnership proved significant to Nscale's financials, with Spring accounting for $24 million of the company's $33 million in annual revenue during 2025.

According to the Financial Times, the arrangement operated within legal bounds by exploiting gaps in U.S. export controls targeting Chinese access to advanced AI accelerators. Despite its legal status, the deal exposes Nscale to considerable regulatory and reputational risk as Washington continues tightening restrictions on Chinese acquisition of cutting-edge semiconductor technology.