Fusion, a nuclear fusion startup founded by a 19-year-old, "Expects Cooperation with Korea"

CEO from Lebanon... Monetizes through pulsed compression explosion technology and radiation testing

Unveiled facility in San Leandro, California, USA... Over half the size of a soccer field

Interior of Fusion facility [Provided by Fusion]

 A startup developing nuclear fusion, founded by its CEO and founder, who is in his 20s and called a genius from Lebanon, when he was 19 years old.

Amid concerns of power shortages due to the massive AI infrastructure construction driven by the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, a startup pursuing energy development through nuclear fusion is attracting attention.

Nuclear fusion is the process where light atomic nuclei combine to form heavier atomic nuclei, releasing immense energy in the process. This is the principle by which all stars in the universe, including the sun, produce light and heat.

Nuclear fusion is called the "dream energy" due to its potential to fundamentally solve most of the energy and environmental problems humanity currently faces.

Fuse Energy Technologies (hereinafter referred to as Fuse), founded six years ago by its CEO JC Boutayesh (25) at the age of 19, has thrown down the gauntlet in nuclear fusion development.

Influenced by his father, a nuclear physicist, he had a strong interest in nuclear energy from a young age. He bypassed college and founded Fuse in Silicon Valley in 2019 with a high school diploma.

Last month, on the 30th, Fuse unveiled its nuclear fusion research facility to Korean investors and media in San Leandro, in the East Bay of San Francisco, USA.

The facility spans approximately 4,000 square meters, larger than half a soccer field. Unlike many other startups that primarily occupy office spaces, Fuse has established a very large facility. Fuse stated that they have similar facilities in Canada and employ about 50 people in total.

"Globally, there are about 50 nuclear fusion companies, and about 40 of them are in the United States," said CEO Boutayesh. "Our technological approach is different from other startups."

JC Boutayesh, CEO of Fuse [Provided by Fusion]

Other nuclear fusion startups use the Tokamak method, which confines plasma—an ionized gas where atomic nuclei and electrons are separated and move freely—in a magnetic field and maintains temperatures of hundreds of millions of degrees Celsius to achieve nuclear fusion reactions.

In contrast, Fuse employs the MagLIF (Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion) method, which induces nuclear fusion through a compression explosion using a strong momentary current (pulse) in a small metal container holding the fusion fuel.

"We have developed the best pulsed power driver, called 'Titan'," he said. "It's published in Nature and verified by external institutions, making it the world's highest output and efficiency driver."

He further explained that the MagLIF method requires "half the facilities and a tenth of the cost compared to the Tokamak method, resulting in double the efficiency."

Based on this technology, Fuse has entered into an official cooperation agreement with Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories, two of the three national laboratories in Livermore, California, involved in U.S. nuclear weapons development.

A key differentiator from other startups is that Fuse is not only engaged in research for nuclear fusion energy development but also generating revenue through radiation effect testing.

While it will take considerable time for nuclear fusion energy to be commercially viable, Fuse has developed a monetization model rather than relying solely on funding.

Regarding the commercialization of nuclear fusion energy, he stated, "We have an obligation to at least demonstrate its commercial feasibility within the next 10 years."

Equipment for nuclear fusion energy development [Provided by Fusion]

Prior to the commercialization of nuclear fusion energy, Fuse is utilizing its fusion devices not just for energy production but as a commercial radiation testing platform.

The pulsed power driver momentarily emits a strong current, causing a fusion reaction in the compressed fuel. The radiation, such as neutrons and X-rays, emitted during this process is directly exposed to the device to analyze its operation, circuit errors, and material damage.

This verifies whether aerospace and defense equipment, including satellites, aircraft, and military hardware, can operate reliably in a radiation environment.

"We are one of the few companies that actually have radiation testing machines," said CEO Boutayesh. "Many other companies have prototypes, like universities, but we have machines that actually provide a radiation environment."

Fuse is pursuing cooperation beyond the United States, including with Korea.

"We are holding events with various industrial partners and potential partners," he said. "I plan to give a speech at an event in Korea at the end of October."

He added, "I believe the Korean government has also begun to show interest in nuclear fusion. There was a recent South Korea-U.S. Atomic Energy Agreement, and nuclear fusion will naturally be included," expressing his expectations. Yonhap News