Crusoe signs multiyear cloud deal with Perplexity AI for Nvidia GB300 chip access

On September 15, 2026, Crusoe announced a multiyear cloud capacity agreement with Perplexity AI to host and manage Nvidia GB300 processors for AI model training and inference. The deal includes deploying Perplexity's Enterprise Max to over 1,800 Crusoe employees. This partnership follows Crusoe's $13 billion deal with Jane Street, helping Crusoe compete with CoreWeave and established cloud giants, despite recent project setbacks with OpenAI and Google.

Crusoe-Perplexity multiyear cloud agreement

• ▪Crusoe signed a multiyear cloud capacity agreement with Perplexity AI on September 15, 2026, to support Perplexity AI's model training and inference workloads.
• ▪As part of the September 15, 2026 agreement, Crusoe will deploy Perplexity AI's Enterprise Max product to more than 1,800 Crusoe employees.
• ▪Under the September 15, 2026 agreement, Crusoe will host and manage Nvidia AI chips on behalf of Perplexity AI over the hardware's full lifetime.
• ▪The financial terms, chip volume, and precise timelines of the September 15, 2026 agreement between Crusoe and Perplexity AI were not publicly disclosed.

Nvidia GB300 chip access

• ▪Perplexity AI explicitly sought access to Nvidia's latest-generation GB300 processors through its September 15, 2026 cloud agreement with Crusoe.
• ▪Crusoe's cloud infrastructure incorporates Advanced Micro Devices processors alongside Nvidia processors to provide alternative hardware choices for clients.

Crusoe versus CoreWeave competition

• ▪Crusoe's expansion strategy positions the firm to compete with established cloud giants including Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud.
• ▪Crusoe's expansion into leasing AI processors and software positions the firm as a direct competitor to neocloud providers CoreWeave and Nebius.

Perplexity cloud diversification strategy

• ▪Perplexity AI utilizes computing resources from Amazon Web Services and previously struck a $750 million infrastructure deal with Microsoft Azure reported in January 2026.
• ▪Adding Crusoe as an infrastructure partner on September 15, 2026, provides Perplexity AI with a third major partner specializing in AI workloads.

Crusoe data center expansion

• ▪Crusoe secured an approximately $13 billion, five-year AI cloud services contract with quantitative trading firm Jane Street in early September 2026.
• ▪Crusoe originally gained attention for using stranded natural gas at oil wells to power Bitcoin mining operations.
• ▪Crusoe has built out nearly 5 gigawatts of AI infrastructure capacity, with a pipeline exceeding 40 gigawatts.

Recent Crusoe project setbacks

• ▪OpenAI and Oracle declined to lease expanded capacity at Crusoe's Stargate data facility in Abilene, Texas, though Microsoft subsequently committed to utilizing the space.
• ▪Crusoe was removed from a Wyoming data center initiative that was being developed for Google.