Nuked 
Hello followers! Today, we’re diving into the exciting world of fusion energy—a once laughable idea now edging closer to reality. Fusion power promises nearly unlimited clean energy, and startups are racing to harness it.
Over recent years, fusion has shed its status as a joke and attracted serious investor attention. The goal? Use the sun’s nuclear process to generate earth-shattering energy levels. Thanks to breakthroughs in high-tech computing, AI, and superconducting magnets, new reactor designs and control methods are emerging. A notable milestone was a 2022 Department of Energy experiment that achieved more power output than the lasers put into the fuel—crossing the scientific breakeven mark.
Entrepreneurs have seized this momentum, racing ahead with innovative startups. Commonwealth Fusion Systems, for instance, has raised $1.8 billion and is building its SPARC reactor in Massachusetts to produce power at commercial levels. Their reactors rely on tokamak designs—doughnut-shaped chambers using superconducting magnets to contain superheated plasma. Collaborations with MIT have been instrumental, and they plan to turn heat into electricity by 2030.
TAE Technologies, founded in 1998, uses a different approach called field-reversed configuration, which involves colliding plasma in a way that stabilizes it and allows longer fusion reactions. They’ve raised a total of nearly $1.8 billion, with recent investments from Google and Chevron.
Another ambitious startup, Helion, aims to start producing electricity in 2028 using a field-reversed configuration. Based in Washington, it has raised over $1 billion. Their reactor setup involves plasma accelerated into collisions that induce fusion, generating electricity directly. Major financiers include Microsoft and notable venture capital firms.
Pacific Fusion has made headlines with a $900 million Series A, aiming to achieve fusion via electromagnetic pulses—rather than lasers—using highly synchronized pulses from 156 generators. Shine Technologies takes a cautious route, focusing on neutron testing, medical isotopes, and radioactive waste recycling, with total funding nearing $778 million. Meanwhile, General Fusion, founded in 2002, employs liquid metal walls and piston compression to trigger fusion, though it faced financial hurdles in 2025.
Other players include Tokamak Energy and Zap Energy, each experimenting with more compact or alternative magnetic containment methods. Proxima Fusion’s stellarator design offers promising long-term stability, while Marvel Fusion employs laser-driven inertial confinement, similar to the National Ignition Facility. Even First Light shifted focus toward supplying fusion technology components, showing the sector’s adaptability.
In the coming years, as these startups refine their reactors, fusion energy might shift from speculative to mainstream—revolutionizing global energy markets. The race is on, and the future looks bright.
