There are a very small number of energy technology bets one can make which truly qualify as "fusion-level". I'm going to be discussing six of them in a multi-part series, beginning with fusion itself. Spoiler: I think fusion is probably the least "fusion-level" among them! https://lnkd.in/gYFNtkmB
What else, flying cars?!
General Atomics is spearheading a national effort to unify the way fusion research data is shared and used across the US. The new Fusion Energy Data Ecosystem and Repository (FEDER), funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Fusion Innovative Research Engine (FIRE) Collaborative, aims to connect data, simulations, and workflows from labs, universities, and private companies into one powerful digital platform.
💫 Germany’s fusion action plan: a defining moment for Europe’s energy future Last week, the German Federal Government released its “Aktionsplan Fusion”. A more than €2 billion commitment to make Germany home to the world’s first #fusion power plant. For those of us who have followed this field for years, this is truly a milestone. The plan explicitly highlights Germany’s global leadership in #stellarator research and commits to securing it for the future - as a commercial technology. Stellarators as a key concept to eventually provide continuous base load and Germany’s leadership in this technology were central to our investment thesis when leading Proxima Fusion's Seed round in 2024. Germany’s national strategy now aligns perfectly with Proxima’s roadmap and mission. Spun out of the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in 2023, Proxima is advancing the stellarator concept with an overarching simulation-first approach, cutting-edge engineering and AI-driven design, turning decades of research and practical expertise into tangible industrial impact. The momentum is building. With sustained public funding, a strong scientific foundation, and growing private investment, Germany is in an exceptional position to lead the next energy era. Fusion is not just about clean energy. It is about sovereignty, resilience, and reindustrialization. Powering Europe’s future while redefining what technological leadership means on this continent.
Enterprise Security Director @ Nawah Energy Company | Nuclear Reactors Physics and Engineering
22-Minute Record is a Game-Changer France just broke a major world record in the quest for clean energy, Researchers kept a fusion reactor running for a staggering 22 minutes, a massive step towards sustained fusion power. Why it matters: ✅ Proves Stability: Shows we can control plasma for long durations. ✅ Validates Materials: Success of the tungsten divertor is a win for the future ITER project. ✅ Boosts Confidence: A huge milestone on the path to limitless, carbon-free energy. Fusion energy is no longer just science fiction; it's becoming an engineering reality. A fantastic achievement by the team at the CEA's WEST facility! #FusionEnergy #Tech #Innovation #CleanTech #WorldRecord #Future
“The future of energy is subatomic.” Bill Gates offers a nice perspective on the breakthrough potential of both #fusion and #fission energy, two technologies that will define tomorrow’s energy landscape in POWER magazine. At Peak Nano, we’re partnering with leading institutions in both fields. As demand grows for systems that can handle soaring temperatures and intense energy bursts, we’re working closely with the innovators driving fusion and next-generation fission forward to ensure our #NanoPlex film technology delivers the high-temperature, high-performance reliability these systems require. https://lnkd.in/eyrkjQf8
Recently I've been doing a deep dive on the nuclear fusion ecosystem in China. One of the gems I discovered was a extensive interview with Yang Zhao, the CEO of Energy Singularity (能量奇点). His company is hot on the heels of U.S.-based Commonwealth Fusion Systems, a global fusion leader, and I believe they are poised to scale much faster. The full interview was over 2.5 hours and conducted in Mandarin. In this piece, I've provided some context for CFS and Energy Singularity and translated several pieces of the interview that I found to be most interesting. It provides insight to how a leader in the Chinese fusion industry views the role of startups, risk, supply chains, AI, and U.S.-China competition. Additional analysis on China's fusion ecosystem is forthcoming. https://lnkd.in/grNr45_F
New Mexico Chosen For $1 Billion Pacific Fusion Campus Site will host demonstration system aimed at proving commercial-scale fusion. #Fusion #Energy #PacificFusion #NewMexico #US https://lnkd.in/g8J9x5D4
VC Investor & PhD Chemist | Ex-British Army | The North Face athlete | Revolutionary climate technologies to power the energy transition
🔥 It was great to speak on stage at FusionX Innovation in London with Peter Dolan from Hedosophia, Torsten Löffler from DTCF | DeepTech & Climate Fonds, and Stuart Allen from FusionX Group, exploring the complex investment landscape around fusion technologies. 💡 Breakthroughs in materials, computing and plasma physics mean fusion is transforming from a distant ambition to a rapidly evolving technology frontier, and several private companies have emerged with credible plans to deliver grid-scale power by the mid-2030s. 🌍 For most, the Holy Grail of fusion is competing in the global energy market, and the race to commercialize power generation is accelerating. But fusion technologies could also have more immediate adjacent opportunities in: 👉 Medical and industrial settings - isotopes, diagnostic imaging, and power electronics 👉 Defence applications - focused energy, advanced shielding materials, and amplifiers 👉 Supply chains - lasers, superconducting magnets, and enabling components 💲 We discussed the sector’s risk-return profile, and whether near-term revenues represent a meaningful opportunity or are simply a distraction. With a wide variety of sources, and a significant amount of capital now looking at fusion, long-term alignment between founders and the right investors is crucial. ⚡ Many VCs are backing fusion for the ultimate breakthrough rather than interim revenue streams, so want decisions that help achieve Q>1 and accelerate delivery of electrons onto the grid to be prioritised. In many cases the most valuable near-term revenues will come from government and institutional contracts. 📈 As global demand for electricity rises and the need for 24/7 clean firm power intensifies, in nuclear the race is on to unlock the promise of fusion energy while scaling nuclear fission. Yet significant questions remain around how to deploy at speed, overcome scaling challenges, build viable business models, and separate genuine progress from hype. 💚 Turning this momentum into a commercial reality will require both sustained private investment and strong federal support for the deployment of demonstration reactors and next-generation plants, but it remains an exciting opportunity. ➡️ Read the full article via the link in comments. #fusionenergy #nuclearfusion #investment #innovation #newtechnologies
Fusion is no longer a thought experiment. It’s a race to build the first plants that can power industries, data centers, and communities with virtually limitless clean energy. The science is there. The capital is flowing. And the demand for abundant electricity—driven by AI and a growing global economy—has never been higher. What was once “always 30 years away” is now a build challenge. That’s why we’re backing companies like Commonwealth Fusion Systems, Type One Energy, Marathon Fusion, Pacific Fusion, and Zap Energy—the builders turning fusion into a cornerstone of prosperity. https://bit.ly/3J9ceG8
Amazed to see the advances made by in nuclear fusion energy start-ups, and all the capital now flowing to the sector from Breakthrough Energy and others. The prospect of powering our grids with a "clean, no-carbon, unlimited fuel source" is no longer only a dream , but a disruptive innovation that will emerge most likely before 2050.
Fusion is no longer a thought experiment. It’s a race to build the first plants that can power industries, data centers, and communities with virtually limitless clean energy. The science is there. The capital is flowing. And the demand for abundant electricity—driven by AI and a growing global economy—has never been higher. What was once “always 30 years away” is now a build challenge. That’s why we’re backing companies like Commonwealth Fusion Systems, Type One Energy, Marathon Fusion, Pacific Fusion, and Zap Energy—the builders turning fusion into a cornerstone of prosperity. https://bit.ly/3J9ceG8
Scientists just built a 350-megawatt fusion reactor that mimics the power of a star! The Infinity Two reactor has passed rigorous expert review and begins 2-year operating cycles tomorrow. This isn't just another fusion experiment - it's a commercial-scale powerhouse designed to generate clean energy without radioactive waste or carbon emissions. The reactor uses magnetic confinement to contain plasma at 100 million degrees Celsius, the same process that powers our sun. What makes this breakthrough special? The 2-year continuous operating cycles prove fusion can work reliably at industrial scale. Most fusion experiments run for seconds or minutes - this reactor demonstrates the sustained performance needed for real-world power generation. This could be the moment fusion transitions from laboratory curiosity to grid-ready technology. Clean, abundant energy without fossil fuels is no longer science fiction. Check out the full story here: https://lnkd.in/gbJX9Jjw
For me, the comparison technology for fusion should be coal, not fission. The technology for generating heat from coal is the simplest possible: grind up the coal and set it alight. Yet coal-fired power stations still costs around $5/watt before you even think about fuel supply. That's because of all the additional costs of boilers, turbines, generator, condenser etc, needed for the rankine cycle to operate. So, the absolute lower bound for fusion power is $5/W, before you begin to think about all the costs and complications of the reactor and fuel supply. Solar costs $1/W and falling. Yes, you need 5 watts of solar to generate 1 watt baseload. You then need to add a 15-hour battery at around $3/W. You then get something close to baseload output, at least in sunny regions, for a cost of around $8/W: something that fusion can only aspire to. At current trends, baseload solar will likely be below $5/W within a decade. Fusion has missed its chance.