The US and Britain unveiled a sweeping set of agreements during President Donald Trump's second state visit to the UK, cementing closer ties in technology, energy, and finance, according to multiple reports from Reuters, CNBC, Bloomberg, and The Financial Times.
At the government-to-government level, London and Washington announced a "Tech Prosperity Deal" covering artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and civil nuclear energy. The pact outlines joint efforts to develop AI models for healthcare, expand quantum research, and streamline nuclear projects to bolster energy security. It also commits the two countries to closer collaboration on cryptocurrencies and digital assets, particularly in regulating stablecoins and widening UK firms' access to US financial markets. British officials said the deal will stimulate economic growth, strengthen scientific research, and position both countries at the forefront of the next generation of technological advances.
US tech giants unveil record UK commitments
The government pact was accompanied by a flurry of corporate announcements from American technology firms pledging unprecedented levels of investment in the UK. Microsoft led the charge with a commitment of GBP22 billion (about US$30 billion) over four years to expand its UK operations and build a supercomputer equipped with 23,000 advanced GPUs in partnership with British data center operator Nscale. Microsoft President Brad Smith described the plan as the company's largest-ever UK investment, aimed at creating the nation's most powerful AI computing platform.
OpenAI, closely aligned with Microsoft, will extend its massive Stargate AI infrastructure project to the UK, deploying tens of thousands of Nvidia's new Blackwell chips across facilities nationwide. The project, anchored in a new AI Growth Zone in northeast England, could eventually host 31,000 chips dedicated to accelerating AI model training and research.
Nvidia itself is playing a central role, pledging to deploy 120,000 GPUs in UK data centers by 2026 through partnerships with Nscale and CoreWeave. The US chipmaker described the plan as part of its ambition to make the UK a hub of the "AI industrial revolution."
Other US tech firms are also expanding their UK footprint. CoreWeave will invest GBP1.5 billion in a Scottish data center, adding to its existing GBP1 billion pipeline in London and Crawley. Salesforce extended its UK commitment with an additional US$2 billion through 2030, while Google announced a GBP5 billion investment, including a new data center in Hertfordshire.
These moves, coinciding with Trump's visit, reflect both the UK's growing role as a European AI hub and Prime Minister Keir Starmer's push to fast-track data center development and grid access. The government has promised streamlined approvals and infrastructure support, part of a broader strategy to capture the benefits of what it calls "sovereign AI."
US finance firms expand UK operations
Beyond technology, US financial institutions also pledged new investments. BlackRock announced a GBP500 million commitment to UK data centers, with CEO Larry Fink joining Trump's delegation. Bank of America revealed plans to establish its first Northern Ireland operation in Belfast, creating up to 1,000 jobs. Citigroup committed GBP1.1 billion across its UK businesses, also focusing on expansion in Northern Ireland. Meanwhile, S&P Global said it would invest more than GBP4 million in Manchester, supporting 200 new roles in financial information services.
These pledges, though smaller in scale than the tech commitments, highlight how US capital markets players are linking their growth strategies to the UK's technology ambitions. By backing infrastructure projects and expanding regional operations, financial firms are seeking both to capture opportunities in Britain's evolving digital economy and to strengthen ties with regulators in London.
Bolstering UK's global tech position
The investment surge is a major win for Prime Minister Starmer, who has framed the UK as a prime destination for "sovereign AI" infrastructure. The combined corporate pledges exceed GBP31 billion, dwarfing earlier commitments and reflecting optimism about Britain's regulatory climate after it softened its stance on major tech mergers in recent years.
For Trump, the agreements provide a visible sign of renewed US-UK economic alignment, blending state-to-state cooperation with private-sector investment. The timing — on the backdrop of his high-profile visit and discussions with British leaders — underscores Washington's intent to counterbalance China's growing technology influence while shoring up one of America's closest allies.
With both governments now backing enhanced cooperation in advanced technologies and digital assets, and with US corporations lining up record investments, the UK is positioning itself as a key node in the transatlantic technology and financial ecosystem. The challenge ahead will be ensuring that infrastructure, energy supply, and regulation can keep pace with the scale of commitments announced this week.
Article edited by Joseph Chen
