Participated · Grant · Mar 2025

Thorizon is a Franco‑Dutch startup developing the Thorizon One, a molten‑salt small modular reactor. The company is based in Lyon and Amsterdam and employs about 50 people. Thorizon leads the ZILT consortium, which aims to advance its reactor design and support decarbonization of Zeeland industry. Consortium partners include EPZ (operator of the Borssele plant), Schelde Exotech, Delmeco, HZ University of Applied Sciences and Scalda. The project received a €10 million award from the EU Just Transition Fund to help lay the groundwork for the first molten salt reactor in the Netherlands. Thorizon has been named a laureate of the France 2030 investment plan for innovative nuclear reactors and has partnered with Orano, Tractebel and EDF to progress its design. Thorizon is an Amsterdam-based deep-tech startup developing a walk-away safe molten salt reactor that uses long-lived nuclear waste as fuel. Led by CEO Kiki Lauwers and originally a spin-off from NRG, the company is developing an advanced small modular reactor called Thorizon One and is working on reactor design and system prototypes. It plans to begin constructing its first reactor, Thorizon One, around 2030 and intends to use the new funds to accelerate development. The recent financing included €16M as the first tranche of a Series A led by Invest‑NL (backed by an InvestEU guarantee from the European Commission) and a €4M grant from the Dutch Province of Noord‑Brabant in consortium with VDL Groep and Demcon. Thorizon collaborates with Orano, Tractebel, VDL, and EDF, and its project has been selected by the European Commission and the French government under the France 2030 investment plan. The company also has offices in Lyon, France, and has previously received a €10M grant from France 2030 in 2024; including its first equity round, it has raised €42.5M to date. Thorizon is an Amsterdam-based spin-off from the Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group (NRG) developing modular molten salt reactors that transform long-lived nuclear waste into carbon-free energy. Its core product, the Thorizon One, uses multiple fully enclosed, replaceable cartridges in the reactor core to reduce long-lived radioactive waste and allow use of materials that do not need to withstand corrosion for decades. The design runs molten salt at high temperatures under low pressure, which the company says prevents leakage and creates a ‘walk-away safe’ facility. Thorizon received a €10M grant from the French government under the France 2030 program and will use the subsidy to accelerate development and business development efforts while accessing nuclear research and regulatory expertise. The company is partnering with Orano, CEA, Oakridge, Tractebel, NRGIPALLAS and Differ to develop a sustainable, cost-effective modular facility and plans to establish a presence in France to collaborate on recycling nuclear materials into new fuel. Founded in 2018 by Sander de Groot and Lucas Pool, Thorizon aims for rapid realisation of its reactor, targeting 250MW output and enough clean energy for 250,000 households. Thorizon develops a new generation of molten salt nuclear reactors intended to use long-lived waste in combination with thorium as fuel. The company is a spin-off from the Nuclear Research and consultancy Group (NRG) and is led by founder Lucas Pool. It raised €12.5m to advance development, perform essential tests and research, and complete the design of a first prototype. Thorizon plans close collaboration with industrial and research partners including Orano, NRG, EPZ, TU Delft and DIFFER. The company is investigating the possibility of realising a first system on EPZ’s Borssele site and aims to deliver a first reactor system before 2035.

Led · Equity · Jan 2022

VitalFluid develops Plasma Activated Water (PAW) applications as a sustainable alternative to chemical pesticides and fertilizers. The company works with greenhouse growers and has deployed its plasma systems to run 24/7 at multiple sites across the U.S., Europe and Africa. Founded in 2014 and based in Eindhoven, VitalFluid focuses on commercializing PAW technologies for the horticulture sector. The recent financing will be used to accelerate market introduction. The article does not disclose revenue or other financial operating metrics. VitalFluid develops Plasma Activated Water (PAW), a "lightning water" produced by exposing air and water to plasma to dissolve reactive oxygen and nitrogen into the water, creating disinfecting properties and a natural nitrate fertiliser. The company positions PAW as a way to reduce chemical pesticides and offer an alternative to artificial fertilisers, and describes initial effects including short-term disinfection followed by nutrient value. VitalFluid plans to focus on agricultural applications such as natural nitrogen supply, seed treatment, plant health, and water treatment (pH control), while also exploring medical and cleaning domains. The proceeds from recent fundraising will be used to accelerate development of its plasma technology, expand R&D, and scale the organisation to supply more machines to horticulturists. The company says the process requires only water, air and electricity and can be fully circular when powered by sustainable energy. Founded from collaboration with Eindhoven University of Technology, the business emphasizes local knowledge development in electrical, biological and chemical domains.