Inertia Enterprises is building a next-generation inertial-confinement fusion system that uses arrays of high-energy lasers to compress fuel pellets until they fuse and release energy. The technology is derived from the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the only site to have achieved scientific breakeven in controlled fusion. Inertia aims to commercialize this approach by engineering lasers capable of delivering 10 kilojoules ten times per second and by mass-producing 4.5 mm fuel targets for under $1 each. Each planned power plant would deploy around 1,000 of these lasers, a significant scale-up from NIF’s 192-beam system, with the goal of reducing costs and boosting energy output. The company’s co-founders include Twilio co-founder Jeff Lawson, NIF experimental lead Annie Kircher, and Stanford professor Mike Dunne. Inertia intends to begin construction of its first grid-scale fusion power plant in 2030. The startup has secured substantial early funding, positioning it among the most well-capitalized private fusion ventures to date.

Total raised

$450M

Funding rounds

1

Latest round

Series A

Latest activity

Feb 2026