Renaissance Fusion, led by founder and CTO Francesco Volpe, is developing a novel take on stellarator fusion reactors that simplifies complex magnet geometries into segmented tubular structures coated with wide HTS "carpets." The company laser-etches meandering superconducting stripes into those HTS sheets to shape the plasma, and plans to protect tubes with an electrically controlled liquid lithium blanket containing small molten-lead spheres to absorb neutrons and breed fuel. Volpe drew on prior stellarator research (including Wendelstein work) and 3D-printed guidance concepts to reduce manufacturing complexity. Renaissance says it will produce wide HTS carpets in the coming months and aims to have a demonstrator integrating tubular HTS magnets and liquid lithium walls ready by the end of 2026. The startup targets building a complete stellarator in the early 2030s. The company recently raised funding to advance the demonstrator and validate its integrated design. Renaissance Fusion is developing a stellarator-based nuclear fusion reactor that replaces complex 3D coils with laser-engraved coil tracks on rotating cylinders, enabling modular cylinder blocks for assembly and shipping. The company uses a liquid lithium layer that faces the plasma to absorb neutrons and extract heat; it currently produces 1 cm-thick lithium walls but estimates commercially viable thicknesses of 30–40 cm will be required. Its approach aims to simplify magnetic-field generation and logistics versus traditional tokamak designs, and the firm intends to sell reactors to plant constructors and operators rather than operate plants itself. Renaissance Fusion projects it could ship a small 1 GW reactor in the 2030s while exploring nearer-term commercial uses of its coil patterning technology for MRI and energy storage. With the recent seed financing, the company plans to expand staff significantly, targeting a headcount of about 60 by the end of 2023.

Total raised

$54M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Series A

Latest activity

Mar 2025