Helion

Helion raises $425M Series F fundraise to scale commercialized fusion power, bringing Helion’s valuation to $5.425B post-money. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gvzBBwyj

Thanks to NYSE for celebrating our latest fundraise on the Trading Floor this week! 

Helion (YC S14) has raised $425 million in Series F funding to build the world's first fusion power plant, enabling a future with unlimited clean electricity. Founded by David Kirtley and Chris Pihl, Helion has launched its latest fusion reactor prototype, Polaris, which aims to be the first to generate electricity. Built in Everett, Washington, Polaris took over three years to complete. Helion has ambitious plans to move even faster on their commercial-scale power plant. A key challenge for the startup is sourcing specialized components, like the 50,000 pulse-power semiconductors needed for Polaris, similar to issues faced in other industries like AI. Helion plans to bring more manufacturing in-house, such as producing capacitors faster to speed up production. Despite supply chain challenges, CEO David Kirtley is confident in meeting their 2028 deadline to provide electricity to Microsoft, with the team already working on site planning and permitting for the facility. Unlike other fusion companies, Helion is using a field-reversed configuration reactor, which uses powerful magnets to guide and compress plasma into a fusion reaction. The energy produced by this reaction will be directly converted into electricity, making the process more efficient. Helion plans for a commercial reactor to generate 50 megawatts, with multiple reactors in a power plant. The company is also working on achieving higher pulse rates and expanding its manufacturing capabilities to meet future demands. Congrats to the team on the Series F! https://lnkd.in/gyMUsAYG

Out today: Helion raises $425 M!!   I’m very proud to have Lightspeed and SoftBank Investment Advisers join our already prestigious group of investors in this latest round. We’ll be using these funds to scale our manufacturing efforts and support our build out of the world’s first fusion power plant.   A big mission requires a team committed to tackling what’s never been done and investors who want to help shape the future. At Helion, I’m proud that we have both! https://lnkd.in/g9XivhkK

Today, constant and high-density electricity is in high demand and with the growth of AI that demand will only continue to grow exponentially. As a result, clean energy solutions that are accessible and can support always-on electricity are needed. That is where Helion comes in. Helion is creating the world’s first fusion power plant to deliver unlimited clean energy and generate zero-carbon electricity. Co-Founders David Kirtley, Chris Pihl, and George Votroubek have already succeeded in creating fusion energy with their Polaris and Trenta pulse-fusion prototypes. Their latest prototype, Polaris, is built to achieve electricity from fusion, which is a huge achievement for fusion energy. Congratulations to Lightspeed-backed Helion on their $425M Series F round. We believe that fusion is transforming energy production and Helion is leading the way. Read more about Helion: https://lnkd.in/eKBt6TVy Cc: Ravi Mhatre, Raviraj Jain, Taggart Bonham

Congratulations to Helion on their latest raise! It’s been incredible to watch their progress over the years, and I’m excited to support them as they accelerate the path to building fusion power plants. The world urgently needs more sustainable energy, and Helion is making meaningful strides toward a solution.

Out today: Helion raises $425 M!!   I’m very proud to have Lightspeed and SoftBank Investment Advisers join our already prestigious group of investors in this latest round. We’ll be using these funds to scale our manufacturing efforts and support our build out of the world’s first fusion power plant.   A big mission requires a team committed to tackling what’s never been done and investors who want to help shape the future. At Helion, I’m proud that we have both! https://lnkd.in/g9XivhkK

While we operate our 7th fusion prototype, Polaris, we're continuing to improve performance for our future commercial systems.   Our materials team is currently testing new conductive magnet materials for Helion’s future machines. These samples are created by stacking thousands of alternating material layers and processing them through our roll-bonding machine, which are then tested for strength and conductivity properties.   This work is critical in advancing the materials needed for our future fusion systems, enabling more efficient fusion to take shape.   #materials #engineering #research

We’re looking to grow our team of production supervisors! As a 2nd shift Production Supervisor at Helion, you’ll pave the way for the future of Helion’s production organization, overseeing the manufacturing and testing of critical fusion hardware. You’ll uphold rigorous safety and quality standards while working closely with fusion technicians, engineers, and leadership to produce top-tier components at scale. If this sounds like a fit, we want to hear from you. #hiring #production #manufacturing 

Flying over Polaris   #fusion #engineering #pugetsound