POINT PLEASANT, W.V. – August 25, 2026 — Nscale today announced a foundational $500,000 gift to establish a premier STEM and skilled-trades initiative in Mason County. This investment aims to transform local public education by modernizing labs and workshops, providing advanced instructor training, and introducing innovative, career-ready curricula to students throughout the county. It will also complement the estimated $87 million in new tax revenues paid by Nscale that will go directly to the Mason County Public Schools.
"The Monarch Compute Campus will be one of the largest compute hubs in the world, and we are building it in Mason County. The opportunities that come with it should belong to this community," said Josh Payne, CEO of Nscale. "Demand for people trained in STEM and the skilled trades has never been higher. This investment in Mason County will help students access the tools and training necessary to succeed in a technology-first economy."
The announcement coincides with the release of Ernst & Young’s (EY) “Economic and Tax Contributions of Monarch Compute Campus in Mason County and West Virginia,” commissioned by Nscale. The report estimates that Nscale’s investment in the Monarch Compute Campus (MCC) will generate more than 6,000 jobs over the next two years. Upon completion of Phase One, the Mason County operation is expected to support nearly 700 permanent positions. Furthermore, EY projects annual tax revenues to reach $105 million, including $87 million for Mason County Public Schools, $13 million for county government, and $5 million for emergency services and public safety.
“As a graduate of Mason County Schools, I know firsthand how life-changing this level of investment will be for our community,” said Jason Bechtle, Site Manager for Nscale’s Monarch Compute Campus. “Nscale is demonstrating that future generations do not have to leave West Virginia to find world-class educational opportunities or high-paying careers. We are building that future right here.”
This latest gift follows Nscale’s earlier financial contributions to local institutions this year, including the Mason County Development Authority, the Mason County Ambulance Service, the Mason County Sheriff’s Department, and the Mason County Fair. This brings the total funding to local institutions and nonprofits to over $1M in donations to date.
The Monarch Compute Campus is a premier technology development in West Virginia designed to power the next generation of global digital innovation. The project is currently building significant computing capacity, with the first phase targeted for completion in early 2028. Once fully developed, Monarch will be one of the largest and most advanced computing hubs in the world.
You can find information about the local economic impact of Monarch Compute Campus, please visit the Monarch Community page or see the “Executive Summary for West Virginia” and the “Executive Summary for Mason County.” You can read the full Ernst & Young Economic Impact Report.
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About Nscale
Nscale is a full-stack AI cloud platform. We bring together software, compute, and power in a vertically integrated offering – from a unified cloud platform for running AI training and inference, to the data centers and low-cost power that make it possible. Our mission is to build the engine of superintelligence and enhance access to the benefits of advanced AI for enterprises, governments, and the communities that depend on them.
For more information, visit www.nscale.com.
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