Databricks to invest USD $850 million in UK expansion
Databricks plans to invest more than USD $850 million in the UK over the next three years, including a major expansion of its London base.
The US data and artificial intelligence software company will quadruple its London office footprint with a new 137,000-square-foot headquarters in Fitzrovia, which will serve as its Europe, Middle East and Africa hub. It also expects its UK and Ireland workforce to grow from more than 500 people to more than 1,000 over the next few years.
The investment is a sizeable commitment to the UK at a time when technology groups are competing for AI specialists and seeking deeper relationships with large corporate customers. More than half of the FTSE 100 are already among Databricks' local customers.
Office plans
The new London site will include an executive briefing centre for partners and customers, along with space for training and learning events. It will also support the growth of a local research and development team alongside engineering locations in Amsterdam, Berlin and Belgrade.
Databricks said the spending would support hiring, training and customer demand in the UK market. It linked the expansion to demand for Lakebase, its serverless Postgres database for AI agents, and Genie, its AI agent product that lets employees query company data in natural language.
Skills push
The investment is also part of a broader skills push in the UK and Ireland. Databricks has previously set a target of training 100,000 people across both markets in data and AI skills by 2028.
That effort includes partnerships with universities such as the London School of Economics and University College Dublin through its University Alliance Program. The company has also committed USD $10 million across the UK and Europe to give students, hobbyists and aspiring professionals free access to its platform.
The announcement comes as the UK seeks to strengthen its position as a European centre for AI investment and talent. Databricks cited figures showing that companies in the country plan to increase AI investment by an average of 40% over the next two years.
The UK operation has become an important part of Databricks' regional business since it opened its first dedicated UK office and EMEA hub in 2024. The expanded Fitzrovia headquarters is intended to deepen that role as the company grows across the region.
Its UK customers include Unilever, Rolls-Royce, Nationwide, Virgin Atlantic, the Department for Education, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, Octopus Energy and Flo Health. The list highlights demand for data and AI tools across consumer goods, financial services, transport, government and healthcare.
Global footprint
Headquartered in San Francisco, Databricks says more than 20,000 organisations use its products worldwide, including more than 60% of the Fortune 500. It has more than 30 offices globally.
Michael Green, UK and Ireland Managing Director at Databricks, said the investment reflected the company's confidence in the local market. "The UK is a hub for AI innovation, and we are proud to make such a strong commitment to the market," he said. "When we opened our first dedicated UK office and EMEA hub in 2024, we had a clear aim: to be at the heart of the UK's data and AI community, providing a space for our team and partners to come together to collaborate on the future of data and AI. This new office and investments accelerate that ambition even further," said Green.
Samuel Bonamigo, SVP and GM for EMEA at Databricks, said the regional headquarters would support wider growth plans. "Our investments in the UK are a true vote of confidence in our team, partners and customers that are driving the future of agentic AI," he said. "Our new EMEA hub will enable us to drive growth in the EMEA region and help businesses, at whatever stage of their journey, scale faster by unlocking the full power of Lakebase and Genie," said Bonamigo.