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Building the world's first fusion power plant
Helion Energy has raised $972.5M across 5 funding rounds.
Helion Energy was founded in 2013 by John Slough (Co-Founder) and George Votroubek (Co-Founder) and Chris Pihl (Founder/CTO) and David Kirtley (Founder/CEO).
Helion Energy has raised $972.5M in total across 5 funding rounds.
Helion is creating the world’s first fusion power plant, enabling a future with unlimited zero-carbon electricity.
Helion Energy was founded in 2013 by John Slough (Co-Founder) and George Votroubek (Co-Founder) and Chris Pihl (Founder/CTO) and David Kirtley (Founder/CEO).
Helion Energy has raised $972.5M in total across 5 funding rounds.
Helion Energy's investors include American Express Ventures, Buckley Ventures, Celesta, Dragonfly Capital Partners, Electric Capital, Greylock, Griffin Gaming Partners, Helium-3 Ventures, Jude Gomila Rolling Fund, KAAN Ventures, Lightbank, Lightspeed Venture Partners.
Key people at Helion Energy.
Helion Energy is a pioneering fusion energy company focused on building the world’s first commercial fusion power plant, named Orion, in Malaga, Washington. Its mission is to develop and deploy safe, reliable, and affordable fusion generators that produce abundant, zero-carbon electricity, aiming to transform the global energy landscape. The company serves large energy consumers, such as Microsoft, which has signed a power purchase agreement to receive fusion-generated electricity by 2028. Helion addresses the critical problem of decarbonizing electricity generation while meeting growing energy demands, positioning fusion as a scalable, baseload clean energy source. The company has demonstrated strong growth momentum, having raised over $1 billion, expanded its workforce to 500 employees, and begun construction on its first plant, with plans to scale manufacturing and commercial deployment rapidly[1][3][4][5].
Founded in 2013 by David Kirtley and other fusion experts, Helion emerged from a vision to commercialize fusion energy faster than traditional timelines predicted (often 2050 or beyond). The founders brought deep technical expertise in plasma physics and fusion technology. Early milestones included achieving a fuel temperature of 100 million degrees Celsius with their Trenta prototype, a key threshold for fusion viability. Their iterative approach led to the development of the Polaris prototype, expected to demonstrate the first electricity produced from fusion. The company’s breakthrough came with securing a landmark power purchase agreement with Microsoft in 2023, validating commercial interest and accelerating development. This momentum culminated in breaking ground on the Orion plant in 2025, marking a pivotal step toward operational fusion power[3][4][5].
Helion is riding the global trend toward clean energy transition and decarbonization, addressing the urgent need for scalable, carbon-free baseload power. Fusion energy, long considered a distant goal, is gaining renewed momentum due to advances in materials, computing, and private investment. The timing is critical as governments and corporations commit to net-zero targets and seek alternatives to fossil fuels and intermittent renewables. Helion’s progress challenges the conventional timeline for fusion commercialization, potentially accelerating the fusion industry’s impact on energy markets. By pioneering fusion power plants with corporate off-takers like Microsoft, Helion influences the startup ecosystem by demonstrating fusion’s commercial viability, attracting capital, and inspiring innovation in clean energy technologies[1][2][4][5].
Helion is poised to become the first company to deliver commercial fusion electricity by 2028, a milestone that could redefine energy generation. Future trends shaping its journey include increasing demand for clean energy, technological advances in fusion reactor design, and growing corporate commitments to sustainable power. As Helion scales manufacturing and expands its portfolio with larger plants (e.g., a planned 500 MW facility with Nucor), its influence may extend beyond energy production to industrial decarbonization and energy security. Continued success could position Helion as a leader in a new energy era, catalyzing further investment and innovation in fusion and related technologies. The company’s trajectory exemplifies a shift from fusion as a scientific challenge to fusion as a practical, transformative energy solution[4][5][7].
Helion Energy has raised $972.5M across 5 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $430.0M Series F in January 2025.