Neoclouds / GPU-as-a-Service
AI-native cloud operators that buy NVIDIA (and AMD) accelerators at scale and rent GPU-hours to AI labs and enterprises — the "GPU-as-a-Service" layer sitting between the chipmakers and the model builders. Distinct from the hyperscalers: neoclouds run a thin, compute-first stack optimized for training and inference density, not a full enterprise-software cloud. The public pure-plays are CoreWeave (CRWV) and Nebius (NBIS); a second cohort of bitcoin miners has pivoted their power + real estate into HPC hosting (APLD, IREN, CORZ, WULF, CIFR). The capacity leaders driving the actual buildout are still private — Crusoe, Lambda, Together AI, Nscale — several on IPO tracks. Microsoft alone has struck ~$60B of neocloud capacity commitments across CoreWeave, Nebius and Nscale. Tracked as an editorial theme rather than a 13th bubble because the listed basket beta-drifts into semiconductors + datacenter-power. Thematic ETF: Roundhill Neocloud ETF ($NCLD).
Stocks · key Fib levels
- #1CRWV$83.49last$96.00fib−13.0%vs fib
The flagship listed neocloud. Purpose-built GPU cloud, largest independent NVIDIA capacity outside the hyperscalers; anchor of Microsoft's ~$60B neocloud commitments. The cleanest public pure-play on GPU-as-a-Service.
$67B backloganchored by OpenAI · META · Anthropic- ▸~$67B contracted revenue backlog (~$88B including Anthropic)
- ▸Major commitments from OpenAI and Meta
- #2NBIS$203.61last$113.00fib+80.2%vs fib
Nebius — European-rooted AI-native cloud (Yandex spinout). Full-stack GPU cloud + own datacenters; second clean listed pure-play alongside CRWV, also inside the Microsoft capacity deals.
$46B backloganchored by MSFT · META · NVDA- ▸~$46B contracted backlog
- ▸~$19B Microsoft deal
- ▸~$27B Meta partnership through 2032
- ▸$2B equity check from NVDA
- #3APLD$31.85last- fib
Applied Digital — HPC/AI datacenter developer-operator. Pivoted from bitcoin hosting to purpose-built AI campuses; leases high-density capacity to neocloud + hyperscaler tenants.
$11B backlog400 MWanchored by CRWV- ▸Polaris Forge 1 (North Dakota): 400 MW critical IT load
- ▸Fully contracted to CoreWeave under ~15-year leases (~$11B expected revenue)
- ▸First 100 MW delivered Q4 2025; remaining 300 MW targeted through 2027
- #4IREN$41.39last$43.00fib−3.7%vs fib
IREN (ex-Iris Energy) — bitcoin miner converting owned power + sites into GPU cloud + AI HPC hosting. Power-first neocloud convert with a self-built datacenter footprint.
$10B backlog2.9 GWanchored by MSFT- ▸2025-09 - ~$10B MSFT 5-year cloud contract signed (anchor customer; backlog pinned in stocks.contracted_backlog_usd_b)
- ▸2026-05-01 - Sweetwater 1 (1.4GW Texas data center) energized - first phase of the path to 4.5GW+ grid-connected
- ▸2026-05-05 - Mirantis acquired for $625M all-stock - adds AI cloud orchestration stack; direct dilution overhang on the float
- ▸2026-05 - GPU fleet ramp target 150K incl. 50K NVIDIA B300s (path toward the $3.4B ARR target by year-end 2026)
- ▸2026-05 - Cantor cut PT $82 → $61, kept Overweight. Sell-side avg PT $62.50 - spot has been running ABOVE consensus
- ▸2026-05-07 - Q3 FY26 reports AH. Estimates: -$0.22 EPS (yfinance: -$0.26), $219.69M revenue (+43.8% YoY). Last Feb quarter was a brutal revenue miss ($184.69M vs $227.33M est) - that's what nuked the stock from $61 to $30
- ▸Snapshot 2026-05-07: spot $56.85 (intra-week pull from $67.60 high), mcap ~$18.86B, P/S ~24.9x, fwd PE ~44.9x. Gross margin 68.1%, operating margin -45.8%. Cash $3.26B vs debt $3.84B, current ratio 4.96. Beta 4.18, avg vol ~34.7M, 52w range $6.76 - $76.87
- ▸Setup tension: real catalyst stack (Sweetwater + Mirantis + 150K GPUs + $10B MSFT) priced INTO the parabola from $30 → $67 in 5 weeks, with spot now above sell-side consensus. Tonight's print needs a clean revenue beat plus AI-cloud guidance to justify the multi expansion; bear-case is recent revenue-miss history + Mirantis dilution overhang. Counter-case clean: a breakout above $77 (Oct gap top) faces zero overhead supply
- #5CORZ$21.66last- fib
Core Scientific — HPC hosting at scale, anchored by a multi-year CoreWeave hosting contract. The picks-and-shovels landlord to a listed neocloud.
anchored by CoreWeave · Bitmain · Foundry Digital- ▸**Jun 2026** - CoreWeave contract expansion announced, bringing total contracted HPC hosting capacity to ~590 MW with ~$10B aggregate revenue potential over 12-year terms
- ▸**Mar 2026** - Additional CoreWeave HPC hosting amendment adding 70 MW, total contract value stepped up versus prior disclosures
- ▸**Jun 2025** - Expanded CoreWeave HPC hosting deals to ~382 MW contracted, multi-year, anchored at Denton TX site
- ▸**Jun 2025** - Initial CoreWeave HPC hosting contract: 200 MW, 12-year, ~$3.5B aggregate revenue potential
- ▸**Jan 2024** - Emerged from Chapter 11, relisted on Nasdaq under ticker CORZ
- ▸**2023** - Initial $1.6B / 12-year CoreWeave HPC hosting framework signed pre-emergence
- #6WULF$20.55last- fib
TeraWulf — miner converting low-cost (nuclear-adjacent) power into AI/HPC hosting capacity. Power + real estate optionality more than a full GPU-cloud stack.
$12.7B backlog528 MWanchored by Core42 · Fluidstack · GOOGL- ▸Lake Mariner: 360 MW to Fluidstack ($3.2B Google guarantee)
- ▸Abernathy JV: 168 MW over 25 years
- ▸$9.5B contracted revenue with $1.3B Google lease support
- #7CIFR$21.08last$17.00fib+24.0%vs fib
Cipher Mining — bitcoin miner pivoting sites toward AI/HPC hosting. Earliest-stage of the miner-to-neocloud converts; optionality play on the power + land base.
$6.9B backlog600 MWanchored by Fluidstack · GOOGL · AWS- ▸Barber Lake: 300 MW fully contracted with Fluidstack
- ▸Google backstops $1.4B with ~5% equity stake
- ▸Separate AWS $5.5B 15-year deal for another 300 MW
Private leaders· IPO watch · not investable today
Power-first AI-factory model; ~$30B valuation in talks mid-2026.
backersFounders FundFidelityMubadalaG2 Venture PartnersNVIDIAoutlook~$10B in the Oct 2025 round; reportedly in talks mid-2026 to raise ~$3B near a ~$30B valuation. Among the most likely large neocloud IPO candidates.
$10.0B2025-10Fastest scale-up; inside the Microsoft ~$60B neocloud commitments.
backersSandton CapitalBlue OwlDellNokiaNVIDIAAkeroutlook$2B Series C at $14.6B (Mar 2026), one of the fastest scale-ups in the sector. Inside the ~$60B Microsoft capacity deals; IPO plausible on continued buildout.
$14.6B2026-03Neocloud + inference-stack hybrid; $8.3B (Jul 2026).
backersGeneral CatalystProsperity7NVIDIAKleiner PerkinsLux Capitaloutlook$800M Series C at $8.3B (Jul 2026). Fast-compounding valuation; credible late-stage IPO candidate if inference demand holds.
$8.30B2026-07Earliest GPUaaS pure-play; nearest-term IPO candidate.
backersThomas TullSGWB CapitalSK TelecomNVIDIAARK Investoutlook~$5.9B last primary round (late 2025); secondary marks near ~$9B by mid-2026. Working toward an IPO — one of the nearest-term listed-neocloud candidates.
$5.90B2025-12
Co-movement matrix (252d)
APLD | CIFR | CORZ | CRWV | IREN | NBIS | WULF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| APLD | · | 0.61 | 0.67 | 0.57 | 0.59 | 0.53 | 0.50 |
| CIFR | 0.61 | · | 0.68 | 0.44 | 0.78 | 0.49 | 0.64 |
| CORZ | 0.67 | 0.68 | · | 0.69 | 0.64 | 0.61 | 0.55 |
| CRWV | 0.57 | 0.44 | 0.69 | · | 0.48 | 0.67 | 0.30 |
| IREN | 0.59 | 0.78 | 0.64 | 0.48 | · | 0.52 | 0.58 |
| NBIS | 0.53 | 0.49 | 0.61 | 0.67 | 0.52 | · | 0.39 |
| WULF | 0.50 | 0.64 | 0.55 | 0.30 | 0.58 | 0.39 | · |
About themes
Themes are editorial groupings - narrative buckets used for technical screens. They exist alongside bubbles, which are validated empirically by capital-flow co-movement.
When a theme's avg correlation is high, the editorial story is also tradeable as a bloc. When it's low, the narrative groups stocks that don't actually move together - useful for thinking, less useful for trading.
Related research
Frequently asked questions
- What are the top stocks in the Neoclouds / GPU-as-a-Service theme?
- QuantAbundancia's Neoclouds / GPU-as-a-Service theme tracks 7 stocks ranked editorially: CRWV, NBIS, APLD, IREN, CORZ, WULF, CIFR.
- Which private companies are in the Neoclouds / GPU-as-a-Service theme?
- 4 private leaders are tracked for IPO watch: Crusoe Energy, Nscale, Together AI, Lambda.
- Do Neoclouds / GPU-as-a-Service stocks move together?
- The Neoclouds / GPU-as-a-Service theme has a 252-day average correlation of 0.57 across its members - decent co-movement. Editorial themes are narrative groupings, not capital-flow validated; tradability follows correlation, not the story.