NuScale Power vs TerraPower
October 04, 2025
NuScale Power ($469.6M)
NuScale Power has developed a small modular reactor (SMR) to supply energy for electrical generation and other heat process applications.
TerraPower ($1.4B)
TerraPower focuses on developing a sustainable and economic nuclear energy system while reducing proliferation risks.
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Top 34 Nuclear Energy startups
Top 34 Nuclear Energy startups
NuScale Power and TerraPower are both US-based developers of small nuclear power plants (SMR/Gen-IV) aimed at decarbonizing energy systems. They manufacture modular nuclear reactors with energy storage, which are prefabricated at the plant and that's why - cheaper for customers, faster to install and easier to maintain. These reactors ensure higher safety thanks to simplified construction and passive cooling systems (without pumps and external power supply). They are suitable for remote regions, data centers and industrial sites.
But NuScale (founded in 2007) was the first US company to receive NRC certification for its SMR design. Its passively cooled light-water SMR VOYGR uses low-enriched uranium fuel (U-235) and has a capacity of up to 77 MWe. A single plant can contain 4 to 12 modules. The company creates efficient solutions for data centers and industrial facilities.
TerraPower (2006) developes its sodium-cooled fast reactor (Natrium) combined with molten salt thermal storage (with capacity up to 500 MWe). According to the company, this system significantly reduces construction costs (as it requires less concrete/steel and human labor). The company is also developing Traveling Wave Reactor based on a slow "burning" reaction of nuclear fuel, where a wave of conversion of uranium-238 into plutonium-239 and its burnup moves along the active zone.
But NuScale (founded in 2007) was the first US company to receive NRC certification for its SMR design. Its passively cooled light-water SMR VOYGR uses low-enriched uranium fuel (U-235) and has a capacity of up to 77 MWe. A single plant can contain 4 to 12 modules. The company creates efficient solutions for data centers and industrial facilities.
TerraPower (2006) developes its sodium-cooled fast reactor (Natrium) combined with molten salt thermal storage (with capacity up to 500 MWe). According to the company, this system significantly reduces construction costs (as it requires less concrete/steel and human labor). The company is also developing Traveling Wave Reactor based on a slow "burning" reaction of nuclear fuel, where a wave of conversion of uranium-238 into plutonium-239 and its burnup moves along the active zone.
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