Zap Energy, a developer of a unique fusion energy technology, raised $130 million in Series D funding.
The funding round was led by Soros Fund Management, with support from several other investors, including Emerson Collective, Chevron Technology Ventures, and Breakthrough Energy Ventures.
Zap Energy, based in Everett, is developing a new type of fusion energy technology. Their goal is to create a compact, cost-effective fusion power platform that generates energy by using a unique process called “sheared-flow-stabilized Z-pinch.” This approach eliminates the need for expensive magnetic coils, making fusion energy more economically viable.
Their main product, Century, is a test platform designed to simulate the operations of a fusion power plant. It works by using liquid metal (bismuth) to absorb the heat from the fusion reactions and then cool it with air-cooled heat exchangers. Century is built to conduct over 1,000 pulses of high-voltage power, which is crucial for testing how the system will behave in a real-world fusion plant.
With fresh funds, Zap Energy intends to advance both its plasma research and the engineering needed to integrate the technology into a full-scale fusion plant. Specifically, Zap Energy will focus on improving its FuZE device series and building a pulsed power capacitor bank, both of which are key to scaling up its fusion energy platform.
Going forward, Zap Energy is aiming to further refine its technology and bring it closer to producing clean and reliable fusion energy.