David Kirtley, Helion Energy

2023-01-16

Today’s guest is Dr. David Kirtley, Founder and CEO at Helion, which is building the world's first fusion generator and enabling a future of unlimited clean electricity. Nuclear fusion has the potential to revolutionize the way we produce energy. As the driving force behind every star in our galaxy, fusion has long been hailed as the "holy grail" of clean energy, offering a limitless and fossil-free source of power. But the idea of harnessing fusion on Earth has seemed like a dream that’s perpetually 30 years away. However, with a recent infl...

Today’s guest is Dr. David Kirtley, Founder and CEO at Helion, which is building the world's first fusion generator and enabling a future of unlimited clean electricity.

Nuclear fusion has the potential to revolutionize the way we produce energy. As the driving force behind every star in our galaxy, fusion has long been hailed as the "holy grail" of clean energy, offering a limitless and fossil-free source of power. But the idea of harnessing fusion on Earth has seemed like a dream that’s perpetually 30 years away. However, with a recent influx of venture capital and the emergence of fusion startups, unlimited clean energy may finally be within reach.

This episode was initially recorded as a fireside chat at the SOSV Climate Tech Summit on October 25-26, 2022 (video here). Jason and David talk about Helion, the company’s origin story, approach, and progress. They also cover some of the barriers holding them back, and what it will take to get to true commercial adoption. The discussion also touches on fusion in general, why the joke has been that fusion is 30 years away and always will be, and how close we are to the exciting promise of fusion technology.

In this episode, we cover:

[2:20] An overview of Helion
[2:50] How David came to work on fusion and its possibilities
[5:04] Status of nuclear fusion
[7:25] David's thoughts on the fusion landscape, including different players and types
[10:23] Company origin story
[12:26] How Helion pieced together their solution set
[14:20] Funding milestones to date
[15:17] Early stages and current risks
[17:54] Helion's plans for commercialization and the company's business model
[18:53] The pitch for initial customers
[20:18] Supply chain concerns
[21:04] Who David wants to hear from and open positions at Helion

Get connected:
Jason Jacobs Twitter / LinkedIn\
David Kirtley / Helion
MCJ Podcast / Collective

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Episode recorded on October 25, 2022.

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