Helion Energy
Facts
- HQ
- Everett, Wash.
- Sectors
- Renewable Energy Power Generation
- Founded
- 2013
- Type
- Corporation Seattle business license
- Employees
- 595
- Registered name
- Helion Energy Inc Seattle business license
- Stage
- startup
- Founders
- DAVID KIRTLEY, Chris Pihl, George Votroubek, Anthony Pancotti, John Slough
Helion Energy Secures World’s First Regulatory Licenses for 50-Megawatt Fusion Power Plant in Washington
Helion Energy became the first company globally to receive regulatory licenses for a fusion power plant, securing critical Radioactive Materials and Air Emissions Licenses for its 50-megawatt fusion facility in Washington. This milestone advances Helion’s efforts to commercialize clean fusion energy, with plans to supply electricity by 2028 following a deal with Microsoft.
Helion Becomes First U.S. Fusion Energy Firm to Secure All Regulatory Licenses for Reactor in Washington
Helion Energy has become the first U.S. fusion energy company to obtain all required regulatory licenses, enabling it to construct a fusion reactor in Washington state and supply power to Microsoft by 2028. The company emphasizes the environmental benefits of fusion energy and progresses toward commercial power generation despite some skepticism about fusion timelines.
Helion Energy Secures $465M at $15.5B Valuation to Advance Fusion Energy with Polaris Prototype
Helion Energy raised $465 million in a Series G funding round at a $15.5 billion valuation to advance its fusion energy technology, bringing total capital raised to $1.5 billion. The company uses a unique Field-Reversed Configuration and Magneto-Inertial Fusion approach, aiming to demonstrate electricity production from fusion with its Polaris prototype.
Helion Raises $465M, Valued at $15.5B in Series G Funding Led by Thrive Capital
Helion, a nuclear fusion energy company backed by OpenAI co-founders, raised $465 million in a Series G round led by Thrive Capital, valuing the company at $15.5 billion. The funds will accelerate commercial deployment, expand manufacturing, and support clean electricity delivery as Helion advances fusion technology and builds its first power plant in Washington.
Helion Energy Raises $465M, Valued at $15.5B, Targets Commercial Fusion Power by 2028
Helion Energy raised $465 million, increasing its valuation to $15.5 billion, as it aims to commercialize fusion power by 2028 with projects like the 50-megawatt Orion plant in Washington. Despite ambitious plans and partnerships like the one with Microsoft, the company faces skepticism due to technical challenges and limited scientific disclosures.
Republicans Probe Sam Altman’s Personal Investments After Reports He Asked OpenAI to Back Firms in His $3.5B Portfolio
Republicans are probing Sam Altman’s personal investments for potential conflicts of interest after reports he asked OpenAI to support companies in his roughly $3.5 billion portfolio, which includes stakes in firms like Helion and Reddit.
GeekWire Names Helion, OCOChem, TerraPower, Ravel, and IUNU as 2026 Sustainable Innovation Award Finalists
The finalists for GeekWire's 2026 Sustainable Innovation Award are energy companies Helion, OCOChem, TerraPower; fashion recycler Ravel; and agtech startup IUNU, recognized for their work combating climate change and sustainability challenges. The award, sponsored by Amazon, highlights Pacific Northwest leaders and culminates in a May 7 celebration in Seattle, with public voting open until April 16.
OpenAI in talks to buy 5 GW of fusion power from Helion by 2030, scaling to 50 GW by 2035; Sam Altman recuses himself
Axios reports OpenAI is negotiating to buy fusion electricity from Helion Energy — potentially 5 GW by 2030 and 50 GW by 2035 — while Sam Altman has stepped down from Helion’s board and recused himself from talks.
Helion Energy Tops GeekWire 200 as No. 1 Pacific Northwest Tech Startup in Q2 2025 Amid Hardware Sector Growth
Helion Energy, a fusion power startup backed by SoftBank and Sam Altman, has become the new No. 1 on the GeekWire 200 list of top Pacific Northwest tech startups. The list highlights a growing trend of hardware-focused startups in sectors like space, energy, robotics, and agriculture, shifting away from the region's traditional emphasis on enterprise software.
Avalanche Energy Secures $29M Led by RA Capital to Develop Desktop-Sized Fusion Power and Launch FusionWERX Facility
Seattle's Avalanche Energy raised $29 million led by RA Capital Management to advance fusion power and open FusionWERX, a commercial-scale test facility in Washington. The funding supports developing compact fusion devices for specialized applications, diverging from competitors focusing on large-scale fusion reactors.
Carta: Seattle Ranked No. 6 in 2025 U.S. Cities for Startup Capital Raised with Nearly $2 Billion
Carta’s 2025 city rankings show Seattle remained sixth in the U.S. for startup capital raised with nearly $2 billion (2.9% of Carta-tracked funding), similar to its 2024 position. Major Seattle-area rounds included TerraPower ($650M), Stoke Space ($510M), Helion Energy ($425M), and others across software, AI, hardware, and fintech.
Seattle Fusion Startup Avalanche Energy Raises $14.9 Million to Advance Compact Fusion Devices
Seattle startup Avalanche Energy raised $14.9 million in a new funding round to develop compact fusion energy devices and pursue commercial applications. The company already secured $50 million from investors and contracts including a Pentagon deal and a $10 million state grant for a fusion testing facility.
Helion Appoints Savanna Thompson as Chief Business Operations Officer to Lead Scaling Efforts Amid Fusion Power Deployment
Savanna Thompson has been appointed as Helion's new Chief Business Operations Officer to support the company's transition from building fusion machines to deploying fusion power plants by scaling teams and infrastructure.
Helion Appoints Savanna Thompson as Chief Business Operations Officer Amid Shift to Fusion Power Plant Deployment
Savanna Thompson has been appointed as the new Chief Business Operations Officer at Helion, reflecting the company's shift from building fusion machines to deploying fusion power plants. Her steady leadership over the past three years has been key in advancing Helion's day-to-day operations and scaling its teams and systems.
Zap Energy's FuZE-3 Reactor Generates Pressure 10 Times Mariana Trench Level, Paving Way for Fusion Power
Zap Energy’s FuZE-3 fusion reactor achieved pressures 10 times higher than those at the Mariana Trench, marking a major milestone in fusion power development. The company plans to commission a fifth device, FuZE-A, next month to further advance and optimize fusion technology.
Helion Energy Builds 166,000 Sq. Ft. Omega Facility and Commercial Fusion Plant to Scale Fusion Power Manufacturing
Helion Energy is advancing its seventh-generation fusion prototype while building a commercial power plant and a large-scale manufacturing facility named Omega to produce components for future fusion plants. The company emphasizes manufacturing and rapid growth, aiming to deliver fusion-generated electricity to the grid despite ongoing technology uncertainties.
ExoFusion Secures DOE FIRE Funding to Research Liquid Metal Walls in Fusion Generators with Princeton Lab
ExoFusion, a clean energy startup based in Washington and Texas, received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy's Fusion Innovative Research Engine program to study liquid metal walls in fusion generators. The project is led by Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory with ExoFusion co-founder Michael Kotschenreuther heading an initiative.
Helion Energy Secures Permit to Build Reactor Building for Orion Fusion Plant in Washington
Helion Energy has received a permit from Chelan County, Washington, to proceed with building the reactor building for its Orion fusion power plant, aiming to be the world's first commercial fusion facility. Construction is planned to begin in July 2025 near Malaga, Washington, on land leased from the local Public Utilities District.
Seattle Startups Stoke Space, Group14, TerraPower, and Helion Raise Over $2 Billion in Venture Capital for Space, Fusion, and Battery Technologies
Seattle-area startups in space, fusion energy, and battery technology have attracted significant venture capital recently, with companies like Stoke Space Technologies, Group14 Technologies, TerraPower, and Helion Energy raising hundreds of millions. This shift marks a move from the region's traditional focus on software toward hardware-driven innovation.
Seattle Outpaces Toronto as Superior Tech Hub Despite Toronto's High-Valued AI Startups Amid ALCS Baseball Rivalry
Seattle and Toronto, both strong tech hubs, are compared on various metrics like talent rankings, corporate presence, and startups, with Seattle leading in corporate tech depth and number of unicorns, while Toronto boasts high-value AI startups like Cohere. Seattle ranks higher globally and has more engineering centers from major US tech firms, though Toronto shows strong growth in AI and security startups.
GeekWire 200 Q2 2025 Lists Top 10 Fast-Growing Pacific Northwest Startups in AI, Robotics, Energy, and More
The GeekWire 200 ranking highlights the fastest-growing private tech startups in the Pacific Northwest, emphasizing innovators in AI, robotics, energy, and more for Q2 2025. This quarterly list, sponsored by JPMorgan Chase, tracks regional tech development and emerging companies.
Pacific Northwest Leads Fusion Energy Efforts with Helion Energy's $1B Project Starting and Zap Energy's Reactor Advances
The Pacific Northwest has become a fusion energy hub, highlighted by Seattle Fusion Week, with key companies like Helion Energy starting commercial fusion plant construction and Zap Energy advancing reactor milestones. Despite technical challenges, regional firms and research institutions continue efforts toward achieving cost-effective fusion power by the late 2020s.
TerraPower, Group14 Technologies, and Helion Energy Secure Over $1.5 Billion in Pacific Northwest Climate Tech Funding in 2025
The three largest investment rounds in the Pacific Northwest in 2025 have all gone to climate tech companies: TerraPower, Group14 Technologies, and Helion Energy, totaling over $1.5 billion. Despite political and economic challenges, clean energy firms in the region attracted nearly 40% of total investment funding so far this year.
Seattle Lags Behind San Francisco in Top AI Startup Funding Deals in 2025 Despite Strong Talent Pool
Despite Seattle's strong AI talent and institutions, no Seattle-area startups rank among the top 100 AI funding deals in 2025, as investors favor San Francisco-based companies for large funding rounds. The city has potential but currently lacks a defining AI startup comparable to Anthropic or OpenAI.
Helion Energy Breaks Ground on World's First Commercial Fusion Plant in Washington, Targeting 2028 Operation
Helion Energy has begun construction on its Orion fusion power plant in Malaga, Washington, aiming to be the world's first commercial fusion facility. The project, backed by a historic power purchase agreement with Microsoft, targets operational status by 2028 despite significant industry challenges.
People
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David Kirtley Founder, Co-founder and CEO, Founder and CEO
