In the US, money is flowing into start-ups developing fusion technology. The American Nuclear Fusion Industry Association predicts that as of 2022, the total financing of more than 30 companies, including start-ups engaged in the development of nuclear fusion technology, will reach at least US$4.8 billion.
From October 2021 to July 2022, the total financing of various companies will reach 2.8 billion US dollars, exceeding the previous cumulative amount. Nuclear fusion energy has always been regarded as an "ideal technology" that is expected to be commercialized around 2050, and investment in the hope of early commercialization through technological innovation has increased sharply. In addition to investment funds and energy companies, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos have also shown their presence as investors.
About 60% of fusion start-ups are in the United States. Commonwealth Fusion Systems, founded by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), successfully obtained the largest financing of US$1.8 billion in industry history in 2021. The company aims to build a fusion power plant by the 2030s. Helion Energy, based in western Washington state, also raised $500 million in 2021. The company aims to generate electricity from demonstration units by 2024.
The Biden administration is also providing support for the commercialization of nuclear fusion. In March 2022, a meeting to promote cooperation between the government and the private sector in nuclear fusion was held, and future issues were sorted out. The U.S. Department of Energy announced in September that it would invest $50 million to support private companies. It is expected that these funds will be used for conceptual design of demonstration units, etc.
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