New and recently funded Energy Startups
1
Country: France | Funding: €33M
Stellaria is looking to develop an energy system based on the molten chloride fast reactor (MCFR) technology. It's a liquid-core 250 MWe reactor capable of renewing 100% of its fuel during operation, incinerating long-lived high-level waste and achieving revolutionary levels of intrinsic safety. Its low-pressure operation ensures maximum safety. Installing the reactor several metres underground provides failproof protection against earthquakes and overhead winds. Reactor power self-adapts to demand: under the effect of heat, the liquid fuel expands, slowing down the reaction. The reactor produces both electricity and heat. The startup says they developed one of the most efficient turbines on the market that reaches 45% efficiency.
Stellaria is looking to develop an energy system based on the molten chloride fast reactor (MCFR) technology. It's a liquid-core 250 MWe reactor capable of renewing 100% of its fuel during operation, incinerating long-lived high-level waste and achieving revolutionary levels of intrinsic safety. Its low-pressure operation ensures maximum safety. Installing the reactor several metres underground provides failproof protection against earthquakes and overhead winds. Reactor power self-adapts to demand: under the effect of heat, the liquid fuel expands, slowing down the reaction. The reactor produces both electricity and heat. The startup says they developed one of the most efficient turbines on the market that reaches 45% efficiency.
2
Country: USA | Funding: $250K
Virtus Solis has designed the world's first space-based solar power energy generation system. It consists of satellite arrays collect solar power and convert to microwaves that transmit solar power to the ground. Ground stations rectennas gather microwave energy and convert back to electricity. Satellites are grouped into massive arrays - 100,000 satellites for 100MW, allowing for a highly scalable energy platform. Arrays can grow to 20 Gigawatt or more. Satellites are in sunlight all of the time with long dwell time over the northern/southern hemisphere due to orbital characteristics. Microwaves pass through atmosphere and weather with nearly no loss.
Virtus Solis has designed the world's first space-based solar power energy generation system. It consists of satellite arrays collect solar power and convert to microwaves that transmit solar power to the ground. Ground stations rectennas gather microwave energy and convert back to electricity. Satellites are grouped into massive arrays - 100,000 satellites for 100MW, allowing for a highly scalable energy platform. Arrays can grow to 20 Gigawatt or more. Satellites are in sunlight all of the time with long dwell time over the northern/southern hemisphere due to orbital characteristics. Microwaves pass through atmosphere and weather with nearly no loss.
3
Country: Latvia | Funding: €450K
Deep Space Energy is developing a new radioactive generator technology for the European space and defense industry, which will ultimately power lunar exploration. DSE's generators use radioisotopes - materials derived from nuclear waste - to generate heat through natural decay. The solution converts this heat into electrical energy, requiring five times less radioisotope fuel than thermoelectric generators currently used in space. The generator is used to back up satellite power systems, providing backup power independent of solar energy, making it critical for important military reconnaissance assets. The work is funded by government contracts and grants from the European Space Agency, NATO's DIANA program, and the Latvian government.
Deep Space Energy is developing a new radioactive generator technology for the European space and defense industry, which will ultimately power lunar exploration. DSE's generators use radioisotopes - materials derived from nuclear waste - to generate heat through natural decay. The solution converts this heat into electrical energy, requiring five times less radioisotope fuel than thermoelectric generators currently used in space. The generator is used to back up satellite power systems, providing backup power independent of solar energy, making it critical for important military reconnaissance assets. The work is funded by government contracts and grants from the European Space Agency, NATO's DIANA program, and the Latvian government.
4
Country: USA | Funding: $2.5M
FANCO was founded by a team of nuclear energy veterans led by Bill Stokes, who have implemented some of the most advanced nuclear projects in US history. Their 240 MW EAGL-1 reactor is a modular and reliable reactor based on proven low-pressure fast reactor technology, optimized for modern energy needs. It uses safe and environmentally friendly lead-bismuth coolant and operates in the fast neutron spectrum, extracting more energy from fuel and reducing waste for a cleaner future. The EAGL-1's optimized design eliminates the need for expensive intermediate systems and containment vessels, reduces mechanical complexity, and improves overall system reliability. That means the potential for faster deployment and dramatically lower front-end fuel cycle costs. FANCO plans to build its own Nuclear Plant Powered by Its Own Waste in Indiana by 2032.
FANCO was founded by a team of nuclear energy veterans led by Bill Stokes, who have implemented some of the most advanced nuclear projects in US history. Their 240 MW EAGL-1 reactor is a modular and reliable reactor based on proven low-pressure fast reactor technology, optimized for modern energy needs. It uses safe and environmentally friendly lead-bismuth coolant and operates in the fast neutron spectrum, extracting more energy from fuel and reducing waste for a cleaner future. The EAGL-1's optimized design eliminates the need for expensive intermediate systems and containment vessels, reduces mechanical complexity, and improves overall system reliability. That means the potential for faster deployment and dramatically lower front-end fuel cycle costs. FANCO plans to build its own Nuclear Plant Powered by Its Own Waste in Indiana by 2032.
5
Country: Sweden | Funding: $57.3M
Blykalla is developing and building small modular lead-cooled fast reactor. Its design is based on 25+ years of research. It's a passively safe reactor designed for commercial power production in a highly compact format. Its fuel is never replaced during operation, which minimizes costs related to fuel management. The integrity of steel surfaces exposed to liquid lead is ensured by use of alumina forming alloys. Passive safety is ensured by removal of decay heat from the core by natural convection of the lead coolant. The startup has submitted Sweden's first application to build an advanced nuclear reactor park at Norrsundet. Together, the reactors will deliver around 330 MW of clean baseload power.
Blykalla is developing and building small modular lead-cooled fast reactor. Its design is based on 25+ years of research. It's a passively safe reactor designed for commercial power production in a highly compact format. Its fuel is never replaced during operation, which minimizes costs related to fuel management. The integrity of steel surfaces exposed to liquid lead is ensured by use of alumina forming alloys. Passive safety is ensured by removal of decay heat from the core by natural convection of the lead coolant. The startup has submitted Sweden's first application to build an advanced nuclear reactor park at Norrsundet. Together, the reactors will deliver around 330 MW of clean baseload power.
6
Country: India | Funding: $3M
Hylenr develops Low Energy Nuclear Reactor (LENR, aka cold fusion) that enables nuclear interactions within engineered metal lattices that operate near controlled conditions and by using accessible materials. It works by loading hydrogen isotopes into a solid metal lattice and using targeted excitation to trigger fusion reactions at manageable scales. Energy is generated via elemental transmutation - fusion and fission of host material. The reactor emits no radiation - just heat.
Hylenr develops Low Energy Nuclear Reactor (LENR, aka cold fusion) that enables nuclear interactions within engineered metal lattices that operate near controlled conditions and by using accessible materials. It works by loading hydrogen isotopes into a solid metal lattice and using targeted excitation to trigger fusion reactions at manageable scales. Energy is generated via elemental transmutation - fusion and fission of host material. The reactor emits no radiation - just heat.
7
Country: USA | Funding: $5.5M
Transatomic Power is a nuclear reactor design company offering a waste-annihilating molten salt reactor. Its fueled by uranium dissolved in a liquid salt. The fuel is not surrounded by cladding, making it possible to continuously remove the fission products that would otherwise stop the nuclear reaction. Its design uses a zirconium hydride moderator, which is much more effective at slowing down neutrons than graphite. Instead of classic lithium fluoride and beryllium fluoride salt it uses lithium fluoride – uranium fluoride salt, which can hold about 27 times as much uranium. Having more uranium in the salt, coupled with having more salt in the core, enables to maintain criticality using commercially-available low-enriched uranium (5%).
Transatomic Power is a nuclear reactor design company offering a waste-annihilating molten salt reactor. Its fueled by uranium dissolved in a liquid salt. The fuel is not surrounded by cladding, making it possible to continuously remove the fission products that would otherwise stop the nuclear reaction. Its design uses a zirconium hydride moderator, which is much more effective at slowing down neutrons than graphite. Instead of classic lithium fluoride and beryllium fluoride salt it uses lithium fluoride – uranium fluoride salt, which can hold about 27 times as much uranium. Having more uranium in the salt, coupled with having more salt in the core, enables to maintain criticality using commercially-available low-enriched uranium (5%).
8
Country: USA | Funding: $6.9M
Blue Wave AI Labs is using predictive analytics to operate nuclear reactors across the US and to help them operate as safely and efficiently as possible. By combining advanced analytics, automation, and domain expertise, the software helps organizations streamline workflows, enhance safety outcomes, and unlock operational efficiencies. The platform integrates into existing power plant workflows, from reload core design to cycle management. Its documentation tools reduce the resource strain of document-laden processes by automating mundane tasks, reducing errors, and streamlining reviews.
Blue Wave AI Labs is using predictive analytics to operate nuclear reactors across the US and to help them operate as safely and efficiently as possible. By combining advanced analytics, automation, and domain expertise, the software helps organizations streamline workflows, enhance safety outcomes, and unlock operational efficiencies. The platform integrates into existing power plant workflows, from reload core design to cycle management. Its documentation tools reduce the resource strain of document-laden processes by automating mundane tasks, reducing errors, and streamlining reviews.
9
Country: USA | Funding: $7M
Atomic Canyon uses artificial intelligence to improve efficiency and optmize operations of nuclear power plants. The company is developing Neutron, an AI search engine for searching billions of pages of nuclear documentation. Using the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) database and the world's fastest supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), it understands and processes nuclear terminology with unprecedented accuracy, interpreting complex documents to let executives make more informed data-driven decisions. Neutron is based on open-source AI model FERMI intended for sentence vector representations, specifically designed for nuclear data. Atomic Canyon is working in partnership with PG&E's Diablo Canyon power plant, the only remaining nuclear power plant in California.
Atomic Canyon uses artificial intelligence to improve efficiency and optmize operations of nuclear power plants. The company is developing Neutron, an AI search engine for searching billions of pages of nuclear documentation. Using the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) database and the world's fastest supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), it understands and processes nuclear terminology with unprecedented accuracy, interpreting complex documents to let executives make more informed data-driven decisions. Neutron is based on open-source AI model FERMI intended for sentence vector representations, specifically designed for nuclear data. Atomic Canyon is working in partnership with PG&E's Diablo Canyon power plant, the only remaining nuclear power plant in California.
10
Country: USA | Funding: $10M
Bluecore Energy builds compact, zero-emission small modular nuclear reactors on floating barges. Its aim is to provide clean power to ports and nearby infrastructure. The barges can be moved by ship to next location, reducing the emission involved in its transport to zero. The system is water-cooled in a closed-loop - it only needs to be refueled once every few years. The goal is to try to power the “equivalent of approximately 15,000 homes or scale to meet the power needs of a major port. The startup is building many layers of safety, like having the uranium clad and protected in a thick steel pressure vessel and then padded with concrete shielding and steel lining.
Bluecore Energy builds compact, zero-emission small modular nuclear reactors on floating barges. Its aim is to provide clean power to ports and nearby infrastructure. The barges can be moved by ship to next location, reducing the emission involved in its transport to zero. The system is water-cooled in a closed-loop - it only needs to be refueled once every few years. The goal is to try to power the “equivalent of approximately 15,000 homes or scale to meet the power needs of a major port. The startup is building many layers of safety, like having the uranium clad and protected in a thick steel pressure vessel and then padded with concrete shielding and steel lining.
