Pacific Fusion

Pacific Fusion
TypePrivate
IndustryFusion power
Founded2023; 3 years ago (2023)
FoundersKeith LeChien
Carrie von Muench
Will Regan
Eric Lander
Leland Ellison
Headquarters
Fremont, California
,
United States
Websitepacificfusion.com

Pacific Fusion is an American energy company focused on developing fusion-based power sources, using a pulser-driven approach to high-yield, high-gain inertial fusion. The company uses an advanced pulsed power driver known as the impedance-matched Marx generator (IMG), which was co-invented by Pacific Fusion's chief technology officer, Keith LeChien.[non-primary source needed]

Background

Pacific Fusion was co-founded in 2023 by Will Regan, Keith LeChien, Eric Lander, Carrie von Muench, and Leland Ellison. Pacific Fusion's founding chief executive officer is Eric Lander. The company is pursuing pulser-driven inertial confinement fusion, a process that aims to achieve high-gain fusion by using fast-rising electrical current pulses to electromagnetically compress small containers of deuterium-tritium fuel (e.g., MagLIF).

History

In 2024, Pacific Fusion raised approximately $900 million in Series A funding led by General Catalyst, which included participation from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Citadel founder Ken Griffin, Stripe co-founder Patrick Collison, venture capitalist John Doerr, and Microsoft’s head of consumer AI business, Mustafa Suleyman. The company’s funding will be provided in stages upon meeting pre-determined milestones. Patrick Collison, General Catalyst partner Hemant Taneja, and former Google chief executive officer Eric Schmidt all joined the company’s board of directors.

In September 2025, Pacific Fusion selected Mesa del Sol in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as the location for its $1 billion research and manufacturing facility. The facility will house the company’s Demonstration System, which has the goal of achieving net facility gain, or generating more fusion energy output from a reaction than the amount of energy required to drive the system. Pacific Fusion partnered with local universities to create training programs specific to its workforce, as its new campus is expected to add 200 permanent jobs and approximately 1,000 construction jobs.

In December 2025, Pacific Fusion's first build center opened in Los Lunas, New Mexico. The site will build the components required for the company's fusion system. Pacific Fusion’s headquarters and its research and development centers remain based in California.

In February 2026, Pacific Fusion announced the results from a series of experiments performed at the Sandia National Laboratories, demonstrating a modified target design that simplifies the company's fusion targets and the maintenance requirements of its fusion system.

In June 2026, Pacific Fusion announced it had achieved its second set of technical milestones related to its fusion system, demonstrating that a scaled module prototype delivered more than 440 GW of peak output power and approximately 1.1 MV peak voltage in ultra-fast pulses, delivering the "performance required to ultimately drive fusion conditions".

In August 2026, the company broke ground on a billion dollar facility in the Mesa del Sol master-planned community of Albuquerque.

References

  1. 1 2 3 McBridge, Sarah (25 October 2024). "Nuclear Startup Pacific Fusion Nabs $900 Million in Funding". Bloomberg.
  2. 1 2 Nathan Meezan (July 9, 2025). "Affordable, manageable, practical, and scalable high-yield and high-gain inertial fusion" (PDF). Pacific Fusion. p. 1,7 – via ARPA-E, U.S. Department of Energy. PF's approach is Pulser IFE (MagLIF)...
  3. 1 2 3 Levy, Steven (25 October 2024). "A High-Profile Geneticist Is Launching a Fusion-Power Moonshot". Wired.
  4. 1 2 Rodriguez, Kenn (18 December 2025). "Los Lunas, Pacific Fusion celebrate opening manufacturing hub". Valencia County News Bulletin.
  5. 1 2 3 De Chant, Tim (5 February 2026). "Pacific Fusion finds a cheaper way to make its fusion reactor work". TechCrunch.
  6. ↑ "Written Testimony of Will Regan, Ph.D. Before the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology; Energy Subcommittee" (PDF). www.house.gov. United States House of Representatives. 18 September 2025.
  7. ↑ "What's different about Pacific Fusion's pulsed magnetic concept?". NuclearNewswire. 30 October 2024.
  8. ↑ Garcia, Hannah (26 September 2025). "Pacific Fusion chooses Albuquerque for $1 billion nuclear fusion site". Albuquerque Journal.
  9. ↑ Council, Stephen (30 September 2025). "2 Bay Area cities tried to woo a cutting-edge company. It chose New Mexico instead". SFGate.
  10. ↑ Barron, Jessica (September 2025). "Billion dollar fusion facility coming to Albuquerque's Mesa del Sol". Albuquerque, New Mexico: KRQE.
  11. ↑ Fjeld, Jonathan (26 September 2025). "Albuquerque selected for $1B fusion energy research facility". KOB4.
  12. ↑ Lim, Dawn; Pashankar, Sana (11 March 2026). "Wealth Fund Bets It Can Turn the New Mexico Desert Into an Advanced Tech Hub". Bloomberg.
  13. ↑
  14. ↑ Jones, Jesse (26 September 2025). "Exclusive: Pacific Fusion on why they chose ABQ for $1 billion fusion research campus". City Desk ABQ.
  15. ↑ Garcia, Hannah (16 December 2025). "Pacific Fusion officially lands in New Mexico, launching Los Lunas build center". Albuquerque Journal.
  16. ↑ Reichbach, Matthew (26 September 2025). "Albuquerque lands massive fusion power project, beating out California for $1B investment". Albuquerque Business Journal.
  17. ↑ Proctor, Darrell (2 June 2026). "Pacific Fusion Touts Funding, Technical Achievements on Way to Fusion Power". Power Magazine.
  18. ↑ Ben Schlittler (August 25, 2026). "Groundbreaking held for nuclear fusion facility in New Mexico". Albuquerque: KRQE.