In October, Pacific Fusion emerged from stealth mode, securing a $900 million Series A funding round, led by a notable scientist recognized for his contributions to the Human Genome Project.
The startup has now unveiled the physics underlying its initiative to construct a fusion reactor. Co-founder and president of Pacific Fusion, Will Regan, communicated to TechCrunch the publication of their comprehensive technical roadmap. He indicated that their approach could achieve a hundredfold energy gain compared to the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at merely a tenth of the cost. However, the company anticipates their first commercial reactor to be operational in approximately ten years.
Pacific Fusion is pursuing a comparable strategy to the NIF, a Department of Energy research program that initially demonstrated a controlled fusion reaction capable of producing more energy than required for its ignition. This technique, known as inertial confinement, involves compressing the fuel until atomic fusion occurs, releasing substantial amounts of energy. Unlike NIF, which uses lasers for fuel compression, Pacific Fusion intends to utilize a significant electric pulse to generate a magnetic field, causing the fuel’s enclosing shell to compress in roughly 100 nanoseconds.
The electricity generation will be facilitated by 156 impedance-matched Marx generators (IMG), or pulser modules, a power generation method co-created by Keith LeChien. Collectively, these modules produce 2 terawatts for 100 nanoseconds, equating to about four times the average power of the U.S. electrical grid, Regan highlighted. Each module features repeating elements, including 32 stages consisting of rings of metal and ten bricks, each comprising a switch and a capacitor, designed for short-term energy storage.
Precise timing ensures that the electrical output from each brick reaches the fuel pellet simultaneously, as a single capacitor discharges its energy within approximately 100 nanoseconds. Regan explained that their form of the Marx generator is intrinsically fast with synchronized pulse timing across the system.
After discharging, the electricity will be directed through cables from each pulser module into the vacuum-maintained reaction chamber. The electrical surges will then concentrate on the target, compressing it electromagnetically until fusion occurs.
Presently, Pacific Fusion is reportedly several months ahead of schedule, having developed the necessary simulation models and assembled completed prototypes of bricks and stages. This progress unlocks the next phase of their $900 million funding, which will support the assembly of a complete pulse module, or IMG, before reproducing it en masse to complete the system.
The Series A funding, notable for its size, is disbursed in tranches contingent upon achieving specified milestones. Such structured rounds are typical in the biotech sector, and Pacific Fusion’s funding model has been credited to investors at General Catalyst, CEO Erik Lander, and COO Carrie von Muench, who possess experience with this approach.
Additionally, the company announced the appointment of Sachin Desai as general counsel, who previously held a similar role at a competing firm, Helion.
Unlike fission, fusion lacks stringent regulatory constraints, with increased regulatory clarity following the Advance Act passed in July 2024. This act established a distinct regulatory framework for fusion technology. Despite this clarity, unanswered questions remain due to the absence of commercial fusion reactors. Regan emphasized the importance of Pacific Fusion’s active involvement in policy discussions as regulatory frameworks develop.
