Nuclear Start-up Spotlight: Marvel Fusion

Nuclear fusion is having a moment in the sun thanks to its success this month at the Joint European Torus (JET) facility. And the potential of fusion is seeing several start-ups entering the area, including Marvel Fusion. Here, its CEO and co-founder Moritz von der Linden explains how the company plans to rewrite the fusion energy playbook.

In the second of Initiate’s nuclear-focused Start-up Spotlight we’ve turned our attention to what is often referred to as the ‘holy grail’ of energy, namely nuclear fusion.

With its promise of clean, reliable and safe energy, the quest for nuclear fusion as a viable energy resource on Earth has spanned decades and will span decades more. To some, it is nothing more than a pipe dream, but earlier this month this ‘pipe dream’ took a significant step forward towards realisation.

At the Joint European Torus (JET) facility in the UK, EUROfusion scientists and engineers used the JET device to release a record 59 megajoules (MJ) of sustained fusion energy. This milestone is more than double the previous fusion energy record of 21.7MJ achieved back in 1997.

So it’s probably fair to say that nuclear fusion is one of the hottest topics in energy at the moment – please excuse the pun – and that is certainly being reflected by some recent big wins for new ventures operating within the fusion energy space.

Last December, US-based Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), for example, announced it had closed on more than $1.8 billion in Series B funding. According to CFS, this enormous capital injection will support its efforts to commercialise what it describes as the first net-energy fusion machine. The round was led by Tiger Global Management, with participation by new investors, including Bill Gates and Google, as well as existing investors, such as Breakthrough Energy and Equinor Ventures.

Another start-up that has had recent funding success is Marvel Fusion of Germany, securing €35 million ($40 million) in Series A funding in a round led by Earlybird. It is also benefiting from having several industry heavyweights in its corner, working with Siemens Energy, Thales and TRUMPF to develop the technologies and system components required for a future commercial fusion power plant.

What is particularly interesting, however, is that Marvel Fusion is taking a completely different approach. According to Marvel Fusion, its approach allows for higher efficiency in triggering fusion reactions and greater energy yields, and most importantly will ultimately fast track the commercial application of fusion energy.

Speaking to Initiate, Moritz von der Linden, Marvel Fusion’s co-founder and CEO, explains all.

Have you read?
Nuclear Start-Up Spotlight: Kärnfull Energi
UK’s JET facility achieves fusion energy record
Equinor Ventures increases investment in fusion
Marvel Fusion’s nuclear technology gets thumbs up

What is Marvel Fusion’s solution?

We are seeking to create a new, clean energy source based on laser-driven inertial fusion. Taking advantage of the latest scientific breakthroughs in laser and nanotechnology, hallmarks of Marvel Fusion’s approach are high fusion yields, a neutron-reduced fusion reaction (and therefore a lesser waste problem), a modular plant design and greatly reduced capital costs.

Ultimately, we aim to build and operate safe, clean and reliable fusion power plants in the GW range.

How is Marvel Fusion's solution turning nuclear fusion on its head?

The most prevalent fusion approaches have relied on understandings of fusion originating in the 1950s. The fusion picture at that time suggested a sort of brute-force approach in the form of heating a uniform thermal plasma to extremely high temperatures.

Since then, technology development has centred on managing such extreme conditions — especially the dynamics of fusion plasma — which has been fraught with setbacks and has up to now failed to make fusion power commercially viable. Marvel Fusion meets this challenge with a radical new idea.

Instead of heating the fuel plasma to very high temperatures, we precisely control the conversion of input laser energy to accelerated fuel particles through the design of its nanostructured targets. This approach allows for higher efficiency in triggering fusion reactions and greater energy yields.

How will you genuinely contribute to the successful transition to a low-carbon future?

Marvel Fusion is developing a laser-driven fusion technology as a new energy source for the global energy transition to zero carbon emissions. The technology is carbon-free, abundantly available, safe with no problematic waste and offers an extremely high energy density.

Based on these advantages, commercial fusion could be a key enabler for a successful zero-carbon future, closing the gap in energy demand while supplying clean energy through intermittent renewable technology.

Have you read?
Italian nuclear fusion challenge is on
UK’s promising future in fusion energy

What have been the milestones in Marvel Fusion’s journey so far and what are the next milestones?

Marvel Fusion, founded in 2019, recently closed its Series A to accelerate the development of its novel fusion technology from Earlybird and other prominent investors. To date, we have raised €60 million ($68 million).

In terms of the next steps, between now and 2025 Marvel Fusion will upgrade existing laser systems to validate its technology and to demonstrate a clear path to net energy gain.

From the 2030s onwards, Marvel Fusion plans to build and operate commercial fusion power plants in the GW range to offer electricity in the future energy market.

In parallel to our ongoing experimental and theoretical campaigns, Marvel Fusion is cooperating with Siemens Energy, Thales and TRUMPF to develop and design the technologies required for their future commercial fusion power plants.

What is the current public perception of nuclear fusion energy?

Right now, there is almost no public sentiment towards fusion energy in Germany and elsewhere. What little is known is, as mentioned before, largely based on old understandings of fusion from the 1950s.

Building a public perception is a key challenge, not only for awareness in general but also for developing regulatory frameworks and establishing good public relations.

What words of wisdom do you have for start-ups at the beginning of their entrepreneurial journey?

Every beginning in a new venture holds some magic and is filled with possibility. This can be harnessed within a motivated team of ambitious people, and it can become an organisation’s company culture, which will, in turn, help a new business set and reach its goals. This is the key to how efficiently a start-up works and gets off the ground to ultimately soar.

About the Start-Up Spotlight
Initiate's Start-up Spotlight aims to profile some of the most innovative start-ups and other small ventures in the energy transition space, and also generate greater awareness of the amazing innovative solutions and thinking that promise to make a genuine impact as we shift to a low-carbon future.

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