Fusion power startups find new partners in the defense world
Fusion energy startups are increasingly partnering with the defense sector to secure funding and develop dual-use technologies. These companies are leveraging laser-based fusion research to support modern military applications like laser weaponry.
Why it matters
The shift toward defense funding reflects the high capital costs of fusion energy and the growing military interest in energy-efficient directed-energy weapons.
Fusion power is getting back to its roots. As fusion startups keep chasing their ultimate goal — putting electrons on the grid — many are also now embracing, or returning to, the defense applications that laid the foundation for the industry.
The sector emerged decades ago when physicists looked for more constructive uses of the science behind the thermonuclear bombs that proliferated during the Cold War. The national security angle never really went away. A groundbreaking fusion power experiment in 2022 happened at the National Ignition Facility, which has supported national security applications for more than 25 years.
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