**[Nscale Faces Another Setback Before IPO: Microsoft Withdraws from Data Center Partnership]** Odaily Planet Daily News – Microsoft (MSFT.O) has withdrawn from its data center partnership project with UK-based emerging cloud service provider Nscale in Loughton, Essex. This move comes at a critical time as Nscale prepares for its IPO, adding further uncertainty to the startup's listing plans. Reports indicate that Microsoft has not disclosed specific reasons for terminating the partnership, but the project has faced a series of delays. Local authorities have informed Nscale that power for the facility is not expected to be available until the 2030s. Additionally, Nscale's flagship project in Norway is approximately six months behind its original schedule. The data center, which was planned to have a capacity of 30 megawatts, currently has only 6.4 megawatts operational. According to Nscale's IPO filings, approximately 85% of the company's contracts rely on Microsoft and Anthropic. Microsoft had initially planned to be the primary tenant of Nscale's first UK data center in Essex. Its withdrawal is a significant blow to Nscale, which is seeking to raise up to $3 billion through its IPO, potentially as early as this month. (The Telegraph)