Articles tagged with "fusion-power"
Avalanche thinks the fusion power industry should think smaller
Avalanche, a fusion startup led by co-founder and CEO Robin Langtry, advocates for a smaller-scale approach to nuclear fusion, contrasting with the large reactors or extensive laser arrays commonly envisioned in the industry. Their method uses extremely high-voltage electric currents to confine plasma particles in orbit around an electrode, supplemented by modest magnetic fields, rather than relying on the powerful magnets of tokamaks or laser compression techniques. This compact design, with current reactors only nine centimeters in diameter, enables rapid experimentation and iteration—sometimes twice weekly—accelerating development compared to the slower, costlier testing cycles of larger devices. Inspired by Langtry’s experience at Blue Origin and the “new space” approach popularized by SpaceX, Avalanche aims to scale up their reactor to 25 centimeters, targeting about 1 megawatt of power output and improved plasma confinement time, which is critical for achieving a fusion gain (Q) greater than one, meaning more energy produced than consumed. Avalanche recently raised $29 million
energyfusion-powernuclear-fusionclean-energyplasma-physicsfusion-reactorsenergy-innovationStruggling fusion power company General Fusion to go public via $1B reverse merger
General Fusion, a fusion power startup founded in 2002, has announced plans to go public via a $1 billion reverse merger with the special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Spring Valley, alongside additional institutional investments. This move marks a significant turnaround for the company, which faced financial struggles and layoffs last year. If the deal closes as expected, General Fusion could secure up to $335 million, more than doubling its previous fundraising goals. The funds will be used to complete its demonstration reactor, LM26, which employs a unique inertial confinement approach using steam-driven pistons and liquid lithium metal to compress fuel pellets, aiming to achieve scientific breakeven by 2026 without relying on costly lasers or superconducting magnets. The merger with Spring Valley, a SPAC experienced in energy sector deals, follows a trend of fusion companies going public, such as TAE Technologies. General Fusion highlights the growing energy demands driven by data centers, electric vehicles, and electrification trends that could increase electricity consumption by
energyfusion-powerGeneral-Fusioninertial-confinementfusion-reactorclean-energyenergy-startupWorld’s largest stellarator fusion power design gets funding boost
Type One Energy, a fusion startup backed by Bill Gates, has secured $87 million in new funding to advance its stellarator fusion power design, bringing its total venture investment to over $160 million. The company is developing Infinity One, the world’s largest and most advanced stellarator testbed, located at a former fossil plant site in Clinton, Tennessee. This project aims to demonstrate improved manufacturing, construction, and commissioning processes using advanced methods, while verifying key fusion technologies such as modular high-temperature superconducting magnets, plasma performance with a metallic first wall, reduced plasma heat loss, and enhanced exhaust efficiency. Stellarators are highlighted as one of the most promising fusion concepts due to their stable, steady-state operation and predictable plasma performance, which reduces risks associated with commercial fusion power. Type One Energy leverages modern computational physics and high-performance computing to optimize the complex three-dimensional magnetic fields required for stellarator operation. The company is currently raising a $250 million Series B round at a $900 million valuation,
energyfusion-powerstellaratorsuperconducting-magnetsadvanced-manufacturingsustainable-energypower-generationBill Gates-backed Type One Energy raises $87M ahead of $250M Series B
Type One Energy, a fusion power startup backed by Bill Gates’s Breakthrough Energy Ventures, has raised $87 million through a convertible note, bringing its total venture funding to over $160 million. The company is currently pursuing a $250 million Series B funding round at a $900 million pre-money valuation. Fusion power, which offers the potential for nearly limitless clean energy by fusing atoms to release heat without the pollution or radioactive waste associated with fission, is gaining attention amid rising electricity demand driven by data centers and broader electrification trends. Type One Energy is developing a magnetic confinement fusion reactor based on the stellarator design, which uses twisted, doughnut-shaped magnets to control plasma for sustained fusion reactions. Unlike previous stellarators focused on plasma control, Type One aims to produce commercial power. The company has partnered with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to deploy its first commercial power plant, Infinity Two, at the site of the retired Bull Run Fossil Plant, targeting 350 megawatts
energyfusion-powerclean-energymagnetic-confinementstellaratorpower-plantselectrificationCommonwealth Fusion Systems installs reactor magnet, lands deal with Nvidia
Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) announced the installation of the first of 18 powerful magnets for its Sparc fusion reactor, a demonstration device aimed to be operational by next year. These 24-ton, D-shaped magnets will generate a 20 tesla magnetic field—about 13 times stronger than a typical MRI machine—by being cooled to -253˚C to safely conduct over 30,000 amps of current. The magnets will be arranged in a doughnut shape within a 75-ton stainless steel cryostat, designed to confine and compress plasma heated to over 100 million degrees Celsius. The goal is for the plasma to release more energy than is required to heat and compress it, potentially unlocking nearly limitless clean energy. To optimize Sparc’s performance and accelerate development, CFS is collaborating with Nvidia and Siemens to create a digital twin of the reactor. This digital twin will integrate various simulations and real-time data, allowing the team to run experiments and adjust parameters virtually before applying them
energyfusion-powersuperconducting-magnetsdigital-twinclean-energyplasma-confinementCommonwealth-Fusion-SystemsEvery fusion startup that has raised over $100M
The article highlights the recent surge in private investment and technological progress in fusion energy startups, which have moved fusion power from a distant dream to a more tangible prospect. Advances in computing power, AI, and high-temperature superconducting magnets have enabled more sophisticated reactor designs and better control of fusion reactions. A key milestone was achieved at the end of 2022 when a U.S. Department of Energy lab produced a controlled fusion reaction that reached scientific breakeven, proving the viability of the underlying science. This breakthrough has energized private fusion companies to accelerate development toward commercial fusion power plants that could disrupt trillion-dollar energy markets. Two leading fusion startups that have each raised over $100 million are Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) and TAE Technologies. CFS, based in Massachusetts and closely affiliated with MIT, has raised nearly $3 billion to develop its Sparc tokamak reactor, which uses high-temperature superconducting magnets to contain plasma and aims to be operational by 2026 or 2027. CFS
energyfusion-powernuclear-fusionsuperconducting-magnetspower-plantsrenewable-energyenergy-startupsUS-German team to build 15 shots-per-second nuclear fusion lasers
Researchers from the US’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology (Fraunhofer ILT) have launched the ICONIC-FL project to develop advanced high-energy fusion lasers capable of operating continuously for future power plants. The initiative addresses a key challenge in inertial confinement fusion (ICF): transitioning from single-shot laser ignition experiments to reliable, high-repetition-rate operation needed for power generation—specifically, about 15 laser shots per second. Achieving this requires highly efficient diode-pumped solid-state lasers (DPSSLs) that can withstand intense optical stress and heat while maintaining performance. To meet these demands, the teams are combining their laser-simulation models to create detailed, realistic designs of laser amplification stages, which are critical for boosting initial pulses to the energy levels required for fusion ignition. These simulations help predict and mitigate distortions caused by heat and optical stress on large laser glass or crystal plates, which must be actively cooled.
energynuclear-fusionlasershigh-energy-laserspower-plantslaser-technologyfusion-powerTrump Media is merging with fusion power company TAE Technologies in $6B+ deal
President Donald Trump’s social media company, Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG), is merging with TAE Technologies, a Southern California-based fusion power company, in an all-stock deal valued at over $6 billion. This merger will expand TMTG’s business into the emerging fusion energy sector, which is gaining attention amid rising electricity demands from data centers driven by the AI boom. TMTG, known for its Truth Social platform, went public last year via a SPAC but has struggled to generate significant revenue, though it holds $3.1 billion in assets primarily from cryptocurrency investments. TMTG CEO Devin Nunes emphasized that acquiring TAE would help secure America’s energy dominance for generations. TAE Technologies has been pursuing fusion power for nearly 30 years, developing devices that use magnetic fields and rotating plasma to stabilize fusion reactions. Despite raising nearly $2 billion from investors including Google and Chevron, the company has yet to achieve commercial fusion power. The merged company plans to start building
energyfusion-powerclean-energyTAE-Technologiesrenewable-energypower-plantenergy-innovationThea Energy previews Helios, its pixel-inspired fusion power plant
Thea Energy is developing a novel fusion power plant design called Helios, which aims to overcome key challenges in fusion energy production by using a unique approach to magnetic confinement. Unlike traditional stellarators that rely on complex, irregularly shaped magnets difficult to mass-produce, Thea’s design employs arrays of small, identical superconducting magnets controlled individually by specialized software. This "virtual" stellarator concept allows the company to rapidly iterate on magnet designs and use software to compensate for manufacturing and installation imperfections, potentially reducing the high costs and precision demands that have hindered fusion power development. Thea’s control system, based on electromagnetic physics and enhanced with AI through reinforcement learning, has demonstrated resilience even when magnets were deliberately misaligned or made from defective materials. This flexibility could enable the construction of fusion reactors without the extreme precision typically required, lowering barriers to commercialization. The company has shared detailed physics and design information publicly and is working toward building a working prototype. If successful, Thea’s approach could significantly reduce the
energyfusion-powerstellaratorsuperconducting-magnetsclean-energypower-plantplasma-confinementZap Energy ramps up the pressure in its latest fusion device
Zap Energy unveiled its latest fusion device, Fuze-3, at a research meeting in Long Beach, California, marking a significant step in its effort to commercialize fusion power. The device achieved a plasma pressure exceeding 232,000 psi (1.6 gigapascals) and temperatures over 21 million degrees Fahrenheit (11.7 million degrees Celsius), setting a record for its sheared-flow-stabilized Z-pinch fusion approach. This method uses electrodes to pass electricity through plasma, generating a magnetic field that heats and compresses the plasma to induce fusion. While these pressure and temperature figures are promising, they are not directly comparable to other fusion startups due to differing technologies. Achieving high plasma pressure is critical for fusion reactors to reach the "triple product" threshold—combining temperature, pressure, and confinement time—to generate net power. Zap Energy estimates it still needs to increase plasma pressure by at least tenfold to reach scientific breakeven, a milestone few have achieved.
energyfusion-powerplasma-physicsfusion-reactorclean-energyenergy-innovationZap-EnergyEurope’s first full design of commercial fusion power plant unveiled
Gauss Fusion, a Berlin-based company, has unveiled Europe’s first full conceptual design for a commercial fusion power plant, named GIGA. The Conceptual Design Report (CDR), spanning over a thousand pages, addresses all critical systems and industrial challenges necessary to transition fusion from scientific research to practical energy production. It covers the plant’s architecture, safety, system engineering, lifecycle operations, and radioactive waste management. The report represents three years of collaborative work by hundreds of European specialists, demonstrating that the technologies, materials, and supply chains required for fusion power are within reach. The CDR also establishes a cost and schedule framework for building the first commercial fusion reactor, estimating an investment of €15-18 billion to achieve operational status by the mid-2040s. Gauss Fusion emphasizes a rigorous project management approach, including risk management and performance metrics, to improve outcomes. Key industrial challenges addressed include developing a closed tritium fuel cycle and mastering advanced superconducting magnets and materials capable of withstanding extreme
energyfusion-powercommercial-fusion-plantsuperconducting-magnetsadvanced-materialsenergy-technologyindustrial-challengesPrinceton AI restores missing fusion data to improve reactor control
An international team led by Princeton University has developed an AI system called Diag2Diag that generates synthetic sensor data inside fusion reactors to enhance plasma monitoring and control. By analyzing existing sensor measurements, the AI effectively acts as a virtual sensor, filling gaps when physical sensors fail or are too slow. This capability provides more detailed insights into plasma behavior, such as validating the theory that small magnetic fields create “magnetic islands” to suppress damaging edge-localized modes (ELMs) by flattening temperature and density profiles—effects that physical sensors alone could not fully capture. The improved diagnostic detail from Diag2Diag is crucial for the development of commercial fusion power plants, which must operate continuously without interruption, unlike current experimental reactors that can be shut down if sensors fail. The AI also offers economic and design advantages by potentially reducing the number of physical sensors needed, making future reactors more compact, simpler, and less costly to build and maintain. Beyond fusion, the team suggests this AI approach could enhance sensor data in
energyfusion-powerartificial-intelligenceplasma-controlsensor-technologyreactor-monitoringnuclear-fusionUK firm presents pathway to commercially viable fusion power
UK-based First Light Fusion (FLF) has introduced a novel approach called Fusion via Low-power Assembly and Rapid Excitation (FLARE), which outlines a commercially viable pathway to nuclear fusion energy with a net energy gain of 1,000. Unlike conventional inertial fusion energy (IFE) methods that simultaneously compress and heat fuel, FLARE separates these steps by first compressing the fuel using modest energy and then igniting it with an auxiliary source such as a short-pulse laser or pulsed power system. This method reduces energy losses, improves confinement, and employs a liquid lithium pool to absorb neutrons, breed tritium, capture heat, and protect reactor walls without complex solid structures. FLARE’s design leverages low-cost pulsed power technology instead of high-power lasers, simplifying the system and lowering costs. The company claims that achieving a gain of 1,000—far surpassing the current experimental record of four set by the U.S. National Ignition Facility—would make fusion
energynuclear-fusionfusion-powerclean-energyinertial-fusion-energypulsed-powerenergy-gainEvery fusion startup that has raised over $100M
The article highlights the recent surge in private investment and technological progress in fusion energy startups, which are moving fusion power closer to commercial viability after decades of skepticism. Advances in computing power, AI, and high-temperature superconducting magnets have enabled more sophisticated reactor designs and control methods. A key milestone was achieved in late 2022 when a U.S. Department of Energy lab produced a controlled fusion reaction that reached scientific breakeven, confirming the fundamental science behind fusion energy. This breakthrough has energized founders and investors, fueling rapid growth and large funding rounds in the fusion startup space. Among the leading companies, Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) stands out, having raised nearly $3 billion, about a third of all private fusion capital. CFS is developing Sparc, a tokamak reactor with high-temperature superconducting magnets designed in collaboration with MIT, aiming for operation by 2026-2027. They plan to follow with Arc, a commercial-scale 400 MW power plant, with Google as a power
energyfusion-powernuclear-fusionclean-energysuperconducting-magnetspower-plantsrenewable-energy-technologyNvidia, Google, and Bill Gates help Commonwealth Fusion Systems raise $863M
Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), a Massachusetts-based fusion power startup, has raised $863 million in a recent funding round from a diverse group of investors including Nvidia, Google, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, and Bill Gates, among others. This latest investment brings CFS’s total funding to nearly $3 billion since its founding. The company aims to accelerate the commercialization of fusion energy, moving beyond the concept stage to industrial-scale deployment. Fusion power, which generates energy by fusing atoms under extreme heat and pressure to create plasma, has long been seen as a potential source of nearly limitless clean energy, but only recently has attracted significant investor interest due to advances in research and technology. CFS is currently developing a prototype fusion reactor called Sparc, a tokamak device designed to achieve scientific breakeven—where the fusion reaction produces more energy than it consumes—by 2027. Although Sparc will not supply power to the grid, it is a critical step toward validating the technology and understanding the
energyfusion-powerCommonwealth-Fusion-Systemsfusion-reactorplasma-physicsclean-energysustainable-energyStruggling fusion power company General Fusion gets $22M lifeline from investors
General Fusion, a Canadian nuclear fusion startup founded in 2002, has secured $22 million in new funding from existing investors to address its financial challenges. Although the company described the funding round as “oversubscribed,” the amount falls significantly short of the $125 million it had sought. This fresh capital, described by Segra Capital’s chief investment officer as the minimum needed to reach the next scientific milestone, will provide limited runway for General Fusion to continue developing its half-scale prototype reactor, Lawson Machine 26 (LM26), which it commissioned earlier this year. General Fusion is pursuing magnetized target fusion, a process where plasma containing heavy hydrogen isotopes is compressed by a liquid lithium wall driven inward by steam pistons to achieve the conditions necessary for fusion. The company aims to reach scientific breakeven—the point where energy output equals energy input—though it did not provide a specific timeline. Interim goals include heating plasma to 10 million and then 100 million degrees Celsius. Given the modest funding
energyfusion-powernuclear-fusionclean-energyenergy-startupfusion-reactorscientific-breakevenGoogle inks its first fusion power deal with Commonwealth Fusion Systems
Google has entered into its first fusion power agreement by committing to purchase half the output—200 megawatts—of Commonwealth Fusion Systems’ (CFS) first commercial fusion power plant, called Arc, expected to be operational in the early 2030s. Alongside this power purchase agreement, Google is participating in a new funding round for CFS, comparable in size to the previous $1.8 billion Series B round closed in 2021. CFS is currently building a demonstration fusion reactor, Sparc, near Boston, slated for completion in 2026, which will pave the way for the commercial Arc plant. This deal marks only the second major corporate power purchase agreement from a fusion startup, following Microsoft’s 2023 agreement with Helion Energy. Google’s investment aligns with its broader energy strategy to meet growing electricity demand driven by AI and cloud services, which require reliable, 24/7 power. While Google continues to invest heavily in renewables like solar, wind, and
energyfusion-powerrenewable-energycommercial-power-plantGoogle-energy-investmentclean-energy-technologyenergy-innovationEvery fusion startup that has raised over $100M
The article highlights the recent surge in investment and technological progress in private fusion energy startups, which are moving fusion power closer to commercial viability. Fusion, long considered perpetually decades away, is now gaining momentum due to advances in computing power, AI, and high-temperature superconducting magnets, enabling more sophisticated reactor designs and control systems. A key milestone was achieved in late 2022 when a U.S. Department of Energy lab produced a controlled fusion reaction reaching scientific breakeven, confirming the underlying science. This progress has energized startups to pursue commercially relevant fusion power plants that could disrupt massive energy markets. Several fusion startups have raised over $100 million, with three notable companies leading the charge. Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), backed by investors like Bill Gates and Breakthrough Energy Ventures, has raised $2 billion and is developing the Sparc tokamak reactor in Massachusetts, aiming for a commercial-scale plant called Arc in the early 2030s. TAE Technologies, founded in 1998 and supported
energyfusion-powernuclear-fusionsuperconducting-magnetsfusion-startupsclean-energypower-generationGoogle places another fusion power bet on TAE Technologies
energyfusion-powerTAE-Technologiesmachine-learningplasma-technologyinvestment-in-energyrenewable-energy