Nuclear energy technology startup Realta Fusion announced that it has raised $36 million in a Series A financing round, with proceeds aimed at bringing its modular magnetic mirror fusion energy technology closer to commercialization.

Founded in 2022, Wisconsin-based Realta provides technology aimed at enabling the development of the lowest capital and least complex path to commercially competitive fusion energy. The company has developed a fusion energy system based on the compact magnetic mirror concept, in which extremely strong magnets trap super-heated hydrogen gas between two ends of a simple cylinder. Hydrogen atoms within the cylinder can then collide and fuse together, releasing massive amounts of carbon-free energy that can be delivered as heat or electricity.

According to the firm, the modular system, which could be expanded as needed, would enable the construction of compact fusion energy solutions. The system will be designed to deliver industrial heat and power on-site for a wide range of applications, including data centers, chemical plants, metal recycling, remote mining, and other heavy industry, the company said.

Realta Fusion CEO Kieran Furlong said:

“This funding allows us to validate our plasma simulations using real-world experimental data, bringing us dramatically closer to making fusion energy real. From there we will design a prototype fusion device that is as de-risked as you can get it, before we actually go build it. We aim to have it operating by 2028.”

Fusion, the process of combining two atoms to form a single atom to release energy, has been long referred to as the “Holy Grail” of clean and abundant energy production, given its potential to produce power from hydrogen – the most common element in the universe – without producing carbon emissions associated with fossil-fuel based power, and without the highly radioactive output of nuclear fission processes. Large scale fusion energy generation has been elusive, however, given the need to create extremely high temperatures and pressure.

The oversubscribed Series A round was led by Future Ventures, with participation from Mayfield, GSBackers, SiteGround, Avila VC, and other investors. Existing Realta Fusion investors Khosla Ventures, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, and TitletownTech also participated in the round.

Future Ventures co-founder Maryanna Saenko said:

“We’re investing early in Realta Fusion because they’re charting a faster, more flexible path to commercial fusion. By focusing on compact magnetic mirror systems, Realta addresses a critical decarbonization need that larger projects aren’t targeting. It’s a nimble, application-driven strategy that could bring fusion benefits to market sooner.”

With the funding, Realta Fusion said it will advance the physics of the experimental magnetic mirror fusion device currently operating at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and support the engineering and design of their own prototype fusion energy system. Additionally, the company will continue to grow its team and complete plans for The Realta Forge – a purpose-built fusion R&D facility. The company was spun out of an experiment at the University of Wisconsin-Madison funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy.