New and recently funded Energy Startups
1
Country: USA | Funding: $66.1M
Voltus is a virtual power plant operator that pays energy users to conserve or shift electricity use in response to grid signals. These signals can be triggered by a lack of energy supply (from heat waves, storms, downed power plants, renewable energy variability), high prices, high emissions on the grid, or other reasons. Demand response can also generate value for energy users in the form of electricity bill savings when leveraged to actively avoid demand charges. Demand response serves as a lifeline for grid operators and utilities to prevent blackouts or shut offs which can be extremely disruptive, even deadly, to businesses and residents.
Voltus is a virtual power plant operator that pays energy users to conserve or shift electricity use in response to grid signals. These signals can be triggered by a lack of energy supply (from heat waves, storms, downed power plants, renewable energy variability), high prices, high emissions on the grid, or other reasons. Demand response can also generate value for energy users in the form of electricity bill savings when leveraged to actively avoid demand charges. Demand response serves as a lifeline for grid operators and utilities to prevent blackouts or shut offs which can be extremely disruptive, even deadly, to businesses and residents.
2
Country: USA | Funding: $469.6M
NuScale Power has developed small modular reactor NPM, that was the first (during last 20 years) to receive design approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. NPM design is based on proven pressurized water reactor technology and was developed to power power plants, district heating, desalination and industrial hydrogen production. The 77-megawatt reactor weighs 700 tons, allowing it to be shipped from the factory in three sections by truck, rail or barge. NuScale, in partnership with TVA and ENTRA1 Energy, is implementing a pioneering 6-GW SMR program to provide reliable, carbon-free electricity for the future of the seven-state TVA region. The company also established the Energy Research Center - an innovative educational environment offering users hands-on opportunities to apply nuclear science and engineering principles to simulated, real-world nuclear power plant scenarios.
NuScale Power has developed small modular reactor NPM, that was the first (during last 20 years) to receive design approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. NPM design is based on proven pressurized water reactor technology and was developed to power power plants, district heating, desalination and industrial hydrogen production. The 77-megawatt reactor weighs 700 tons, allowing it to be shipped from the factory in three sections by truck, rail or barge. NuScale, in partnership with TVA and ENTRA1 Energy, is implementing a pioneering 6-GW SMR program to provide reliable, carbon-free electricity for the future of the seven-state TVA region. The company also established the Energy Research Center - an innovative educational environment offering users hands-on opportunities to apply nuclear science and engineering principles to simulated, real-world nuclear power plant scenarios.
3
Country: USA | Funding: $1.5B
TerraPower is developing compact modular nuclear reactors with a closed fuel cycle. Its goal is to make nuclear energy safer and cheaper, while also minimizing radioactive waste. It was co-founded by Bill Gates and partners with GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy. Its fast-neutron reactor Natrium has capacity up to 345 MW and includes molten salt heat storage system. Its advantage is its flexible power output, allowing it to respond to fluctuating demand when combined with renewable energy sources. To ramp quickly, it doesn’t increase or decrease the power output - the extra heat gets stored in a giant vat of molten salt. It uses liquid sodium as a coolant and highly enriched uranium (HALEU) as fuel (for now the company is experiencing supply issues). The demonstration reactor project is expected to be operational by 2030.
TerraPower is developing compact modular nuclear reactors with a closed fuel cycle. Its goal is to make nuclear energy safer and cheaper, while also minimizing radioactive waste. It was co-founded by Bill Gates and partners with GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy. Its fast-neutron reactor Natrium has capacity up to 345 MW and includes molten salt heat storage system. Its advantage is its flexible power output, allowing it to respond to fluctuating demand when combined with renewable energy sources. To ramp quickly, it doesn’t increase or decrease the power output - the extra heat gets stored in a giant vat of molten salt. It uses liquid sodium as a coolant and highly enriched uranium (HALEU) as fuel (for now the company is experiencing supply issues). The demonstration reactor project is expected to be operational by 2030.
4
Country: USA | Funding: $13.1M
Reservoir provides smart heat pump water heaters with connected energy management and thermal storage. But predicting when people will need hot water, the system can heat the tank when electricity demand is low and prices are cheap. Plus, the device’s heat pump is nearly four times more efficient than an electric water heater and five times more efficient than a natural gas version. The system can also relieve strain on the grid at the neighborhood level - aggregate the fleet of water heaters to participate in utility demand response programs, which pay handsomely for large users to avoid tapping the grid at certain times.
Reservoir provides smart heat pump water heaters with connected energy management and thermal storage. But predicting when people will need hot water, the system can heat the tank when electricity demand is low and prices are cheap. Plus, the device’s heat pump is nearly four times more efficient than an electric water heater and five times more efficient than a natural gas version. The system can also relieve strain on the grid at the neighborhood level - aggregate the fleet of water heaters to participate in utility demand response programs, which pay handsomely for large users to avoid tapping the grid at certain times.
5
Country: USA
Global Laser Enrichment is an energy company that develops laser uranium enrichment technology for nuclear fuel production. Lasers produce precise wavelengths of light, which can then be used to increase the energy of atomic or molecular species consisting of a specific isotope, changing their properties and allowing them to be separated. In the case of uranium, the U-235 isotopes are selectively excited and harvested separately from the more common U-238 isotopes, resulting in an increased concentration of U-235 over the initial uranium feedstock. The enriched product can then be used to produce fuel for generating nuclear energy, including for new reactor types that require higher enrichment levels. GLE is the exclusive worldwide licensee of the highly efficient SILEX uranium enrichment process, invented by Australian company Silex Systems, GLE’s 51% owner.
Global Laser Enrichment is an energy company that develops laser uranium enrichment technology for nuclear fuel production. Lasers produce precise wavelengths of light, which can then be used to increase the energy of atomic or molecular species consisting of a specific isotope, changing their properties and allowing them to be separated. In the case of uranium, the U-235 isotopes are selectively excited and harvested separately from the more common U-238 isotopes, resulting in an increased concentration of U-235 over the initial uranium feedstock. The enriched product can then be used to produce fuel for generating nuclear energy, including for new reactor types that require higher enrichment levels. GLE is the exclusive worldwide licensee of the highly efficient SILEX uranium enrichment process, invented by Australian company Silex Systems, GLE’s 51% owner.
6
Country: USA | Funding: $5M
Grounded builds highly reliable, fully electric recreational vehicles for self-sustainability on the road.
Grounded builds highly reliable, fully electric recreational vehicles for self-sustainability on the road.
7
Country: Japan | Funding: ¥22.3B
Kyoto Fusioneering is developing fusion reactor, called Unity-3, to test a fuel cycle technology known as a breeding blanket (that harvest energy from the reactor while also generating fresh fusion fuel). The breeding blanket design will use liquid lithium, which will absorb both heat and neutrons. As the lithium atoms in the blanket are bombarded with neutrons, they split into helium and tritium, an isotope of hydrogen that’s an important fuel for many reactor designs. The tritium is then separated from the blanket and sent to the reactor, while heat is extracted to generate power. Kyoto Fusioneering is also developing systems to heat fusion fuel into a plasma, recycle unburned fuel from the exhaust, and harvest heat to generate electricity.
Kyoto Fusioneering is developing fusion reactor, called Unity-3, to test a fuel cycle technology known as a breeding blanket (that harvest energy from the reactor while also generating fresh fusion fuel). The breeding blanket design will use liquid lithium, which will absorb both heat and neutrons. As the lithium atoms in the blanket are bombarded with neutrons, they split into helium and tritium, an isotope of hydrogen that’s an important fuel for many reactor designs. The tritium is then separated from the blanket and sent to the reactor, while heat is extracted to generate power. Kyoto Fusioneering is also developing systems to heat fusion fuel into a plasma, recycle unburned fuel from the exhaust, and harvest heat to generate electricity.
8
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.
9
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.
10
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.
