Top 19 Fusion Energy startups in USA
Feb 05, 2026
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26
1
Funding: $84M
Avalanche is a fusion energy startup that, unlike its competitors, is trying to create a miniature version of the fusion reactor. Their reactor is only 9 centimeters in diameter (the new version will increase to 25 centimeters and is expected to produce around 1 megawatt). The smaller size allowes Avalanche to speed up the process. The company tests modifications to its devices "sometimes twice a week," which would be difficult and expensive with a larger device. To confine the plasma, Avalanche's reactor uses an extremely high-voltage electric current to attract plasma particles into orbit around an electrode. It also uses magnets to maintain order, although they are nowhere near as powerful as those in a tokamak. As the orbit narrows and the plasma speed increases, the particles begin to collide with each other and fuse.
Avalanche is a fusion energy startup that, unlike its competitors, is trying to create a miniature version of the fusion reactor. Their reactor is only 9 centimeters in diameter (the new version will increase to 25 centimeters and is expected to produce around 1 megawatt). The smaller size allowes Avalanche to speed up the process. The company tests modifications to its devices "sometimes twice a week," which would be difficult and expensive with a larger device. To confine the plasma, Avalanche's reactor uses an extremely high-voltage electric current to attract plasma particles into orbit around an electrode. It also uses magnets to maintain order, although they are nowhere near as powerful as those in a tokamak. As the orbit narrows and the plasma speed increases, the particles begin to collide with each other and fuse.
2
Funding: $2.9B
Commonwealth Fusion Systems is collaborating with MIT to create SPARC - the world's first fusion device that produces plasma that generates more energy than consumes. This compact, high-field tokamak will be built using high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets. CFS technology uses the new superconductor Rare Earth Barium Copper Oxide (REBCO) to produce the most powerful and most compact fusion magnets. Once SPARC is built, the company plans to build the world's first fusion power plant capable of generating hundreds of megawatts of power. CFS research is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Commonwealth Fusion Systems is collaborating with MIT to create SPARC - the world's first fusion device that produces plasma that generates more energy than consumes. This compact, high-field tokamak will be built using high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets. CFS technology uses the new superconductor Rare Earth Barium Copper Oxide (REBCO) to produce the most powerful and most compact fusion magnets. Once SPARC is built, the company plans to build the world's first fusion power plant capable of generating hundreds of megawatts of power. CFS research is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.
3
Funding: $1.5B
TAE Technologies is on a course to commercial fusion energy. It's fusion machine design is compact and linear so a commercial fusion power plant would be easily expandable for mass manufacturing. TAE is pursuing fusion with hydrogen-boron (a.k.a. p-B11 or p11B) because it is plentiful and radiation-free, making it the most sustainable option for running and maintaining commercial fusion power plants. TAE’s method to generate fusion power is called Advanced beam-driven Field-Reversed Configuration (FRC). All together, TAE’s approach to fusion can deliver a affordable product that has high energy density, high availability of fuel and no risk of pollution, proliferation, breakdown or toxic waste, making it the ultimate clean energy source.
TAE Technologies is on a course to commercial fusion energy. It's fusion machine design is compact and linear so a commercial fusion power plant would be easily expandable for mass manufacturing. TAE is pursuing fusion with hydrogen-boron (a.k.a. p-B11 or p11B) because it is plentiful and radiation-free, making it the most sustainable option for running and maintaining commercial fusion power plants. TAE’s method to generate fusion power is called Advanced beam-driven Field-Reversed Configuration (FRC). All together, TAE’s approach to fusion can deliver a affordable product that has high energy density, high availability of fuel and no risk of pollution, proliferation, breakdown or toxic waste, making it the ultimate clean energy source.
4
Funding: $1B
Helion Energy uses fusion energy to provide pure, safe electricity. Helion's fusion generator elevates fusion (Deuterium and helium-3) fuel to temperatures greater than 100 million degrees Celsius to achieve plasma conditions and directly obtains electricity with a high-efficiency pulsed approach. Magnets confine the plasma in a Field Reversed Configuration (FRC) and speed up two FRCs to 1 million mph from opposite ends of the generator. When the FRCs collide in the center of the system, they are further compressed by a strong magnetic field until they reach fusion temperatures greater than 100 million degrees Celsius (9 keV). At this temperature, the deuterium and helium-3 ions are moving fast enough to surpass the forces that would otherwise keep them apart, and they fuse. This emits more energy than is consumed by the fusion process. As new fusion energy is generated, the plasma enlarges.
Helion Energy uses fusion energy to provide pure, safe electricity. Helion's fusion generator elevates fusion (Deuterium and helium-3) fuel to temperatures greater than 100 million degrees Celsius to achieve plasma conditions and directly obtains electricity with a high-efficiency pulsed approach. Magnets confine the plasma in a Field Reversed Configuration (FRC) and speed up two FRCs to 1 million mph from opposite ends of the generator. When the FRCs collide in the center of the system, they are further compressed by a strong magnetic field until they reach fusion temperatures greater than 100 million degrees Celsius (9 keV). At this temperature, the deuterium and helium-3 ions are moving fast enough to surpass the forces that would otherwise keep them apart, and they fuse. This emits more energy than is consumed by the fusion process. As new fusion energy is generated, the plasma enlarges.
5
Funding: $900M
Pacific Fusion is developing a high-gain pulsed magnetic fusion system. Pulsed magnetic fusion involves rapidly compressing a fuel in a container with a powerful magnetic field created by passing high, rapidly increasing electric current through it. This compression heats and inertially holds the fuel, converting hydrogen into helium and releasing massive amounts of energy. The company has eliminated the magnetic system to simplify the system and its maintenance requirements. The system is highly modular, enabling affordable manufacturing and rapid iteration. It uses commonly available materials, simplifying supply chains. The modular pulser can be optimized for a wide range of target designs.
Pacific Fusion is developing a high-gain pulsed magnetic fusion system. Pulsed magnetic fusion involves rapidly compressing a fuel in a container with a powerful magnetic field created by passing high, rapidly increasing electric current through it. This compression heats and inertially holds the fuel, converting hydrogen into helium and releasing massive amounts of energy. The company has eliminated the magnetic system to simplify the system and its maintenance requirements. The system is highly modular, enabling affordable manufacturing and rapid iteration. It uses commonly available materials, simplifying supply chains. The modular pulser can be optimized for a wide range of target designs.
6
Funding: $337.8M
Zap Energy intends to build commercial fusion reactor that does not employ magnets, cryogenics or high-powered lasers. This technology is known as sheared-flow-stabilized Z-pinch. It's an electromagnetic phenomenon where electric currents create magnetic fields so powerful that they compress matter. Zap's reactor uses electrodes to send electricity through deuterium/tritium plasma, which causes the plasma to generate a magnetic field. When the temperature reaches millions of degrees Fahrenheit and magnetic field is strong enough (gigapascals) - the plasma is compressed to the point where particles fuse (and began to generate more energy than consume). The company has set the world record of the resulting pressure/heat (though there is also third quality parameter - duration)
Zap Energy intends to build commercial fusion reactor that does not employ magnets, cryogenics or high-powered lasers. This technology is known as sheared-flow-stabilized Z-pinch. It's an electromagnetic phenomenon where electric currents create magnetic fields so powerful that they compress matter. Zap's reactor uses electrodes to send electricity through deuterium/tritium plasma, which causes the plasma to generate a magnetic field. When the temperature reaches millions of degrees Fahrenheit and magnetic field is strong enough (gigapascals) - the plasma is compressed to the point where particles fuse (and began to generate more energy than consume). The company has set the world record of the resulting pressure/heat (though there is also third quality parameter - duration)
7
Funding: $169M
Type One Energy uses an enhanced version of a 1957 experimental device invented by US scientist Lyman Spitzer called the “stellarator” to generate nuclear fusion reactions.
Type One Energy uses an enhanced version of a 1957 experimental device invented by US scientist Lyman Spitzer called the “stellarator” to generate nuclear fusion reactions.
8
Funding: $121.7M
Focused Energy works to commercialize inertial fusion energy (IFE), which involves the use of high-power laser beams to spark a fusion reaction.
Focused Energy works to commercialize inertial fusion energy (IFE), which involves the use of high-power laser beams to spark a fusion reaction.
9
Funding: $117.8M
Xcimer Energy offers a laser-driven fusion to provide cheap, abundant, and carbon-free energy.
Xcimer Energy offers a laser-driven fusion to provide cheap, abundant, and carbon-free energy.
10
Funding: $48M
Realta Fusion develops fusion energy technology for the production of industrial heat and power.
Realta Fusion develops fusion energy technology for the production of industrial heat and power.
11
Funding: $39.4M
Acceleron Fusion intends to generate limitless clean energy using muon-catalyzed fusion.
Acceleron Fusion intends to generate limitless clean energy using muon-catalyzed fusion.
12
Funding: $20M
Thea Energy is developing pixel-inspired Helios fusion reactor that will offer a lower cost than competitors. It's a stellarator - a special type of reactor that uses magnets to shape plasma fuel into the desired shape. These magnets are small, identical superconducting magnets, allowing for mass production. The startup will use software to individually control each magnet to generate magnetic fields that can replicate the stellarator's unstable shape. This approach allows rapid optimization of the magnet design. Helios is projected to generate 390 megawatts of electricity at a cost of under $150 per megawatt-hour. Production is scheduled to start around 2030.
Thea Energy is developing pixel-inspired Helios fusion reactor that will offer a lower cost than competitors. It's a stellarator - a special type of reactor that uses magnets to shape plasma fuel into the desired shape. These magnets are small, identical superconducting magnets, allowing for mass production. The startup will use software to individually control each magnet to generate magnetic fields that can replicate the stellarator's unstable shape. This approach allows rapid optimization of the magnet design. Helios is projected to generate 390 megawatts of electricity at a cost of under $150 per megawatt-hour. Production is scheduled to start around 2030.
13
Funding: $10M
LPPFusion’s main technology is Focus Fusion, a fusion energy generator that we are researching and developing. Our spin-off technology is X-scan inspection technology.
LPPFusion’s main technology is Focus Fusion, a fusion energy generator that we are researching and developing. Our spin-off technology is X-scan inspection technology.
14
Funding: $6.9M
Marathon Fusion designs, engineers and scales next-generation technologies to enable the deployment of fusion power plants. In deuterium-tritium fusion, high-energy neutrons drive "multiplication" reactions to close the fuel cycle by producing the tritium needed to sustain operation. Making use of those neutrons to drive a multiplication reaction on mercury-198, this approach produces mercury-197 which then decays in a few days to the only stable isotope of gold. Using Marathon's approach, power plants can generate five thousand kilograms of gold per year, per gigawatt of electricity generation.
Marathon Fusion designs, engineers and scales next-generation technologies to enable the deployment of fusion power plants. In deuterium-tritium fusion, high-energy neutrons drive "multiplication" reactions to close the fuel cycle by producing the tritium needed to sustain operation. Making use of those neutrons to drive a multiplication reaction on mercury-198, this approach produces mercury-197 which then decays in a few days to the only stable isotope of gold. Using Marathon's approach, power plants can generate five thousand kilograms of gold per year, per gigawatt of electricity generation.
15
Funding: $3.6M
ExoFusion is developing Super-XT - divertor for toroidal fusion devices, which can increase plasma confinement and address the most pressing challenge - heat dissipation and material erosion. Super-XT maintains very high plasma temperatures at the plasma-material interface and uses magnetic fields to dissipate waste heat. ExoFusion is also developing new liquid metals that enable the creation of new and improved solutions for the plasma-material interface problem and compact high-volume fusion neutron source. The company's business model includes the sale or licensing of patents and the provision of modeling, testing and other support for fusion technology design.
ExoFusion is developing Super-XT - divertor for toroidal fusion devices, which can increase plasma confinement and address the most pressing challenge - heat dissipation and material erosion. Super-XT maintains very high plasma temperatures at the plasma-material interface and uses magnetic fields to dissipate waste heat. ExoFusion is also developing new liquid metals that enable the creation of new and improved solutions for the plasma-material interface problem and compact high-volume fusion neutron source. The company's business model includes the sale or licensing of patents and the provision of modeling, testing and other support for fusion technology design.
16
Funding: $3.2M
CTFusion is a startup that uses a patented technology called Imposed-Dynamo Current Drive (IDCD) to generate compact and magnetically-confined fusion plasmas.
CTFusion is a startup that uses a patented technology called Imposed-Dynamo Current Drive (IDCD) to generate compact and magnetically-confined fusion plasmas.
17
Funding: $390K
NearStar Fusion is developing a new pulsed approach to create fusion called Hypervelocity Gradient Field Fusion (HGFF) which builds on a successful method of imploding metallic liners (Z machine) combined with a repeatable theta pinch process developed under a NASA Innovative Advanced Concept study.
NearStar Fusion is developing a new pulsed approach to create fusion called Hypervelocity Gradient Field Fusion (HGFF) which builds on a successful method of imploding metallic liners (Z machine) combined with a repeatable theta pinch process developed under a NASA Innovative Advanced Concept study.
18
Electric Fusion Systems, Inc. is developing a compact and portable fusion power generator capable of delivering kilowatts, yet scalable to many megawatts. It creates aneutronic fusion, the only fusion energy source that is truly clean, safe, and environmentally friendly.
19
Inertia is taking the most direct, scientifically-proven path to commercializing fusion, leveraging the only successful achievement of fusion ignition, using a process that was pioneered at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL).
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