Nuclear tech startup Radiant announced that it has raised more than $300 million in a new funding round, with proceeds from the financing aimed at scaling the company’s commercialization efforts to mass produce micro-scaled nuclear reactors.
Founded in 2020, California-based Radiant is aiming to build nuclear microreactors that can be mass-produced and act as a zero-emissions alternative to diesel generators, providing power for applications such as remote villages, emergency responders, and military installations. The company’s first generator, Kaleidos, a 1 MW microreactor, was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to be tested at the Idaho National Laboratory’s (INL) new Demonstration of Microreactor Experiments (DOME) facility, with testing scheduled to begin in Summer of 2026. Radiant said that it aims to begin initial customer deployments in 2028.
The new financing round comes only six months after Radiant raised $165 million in a Series C funding round. The company said that the new capital will support the scaling of its commercialization efforts as it prepares to break ground early next year on its recently announced first factory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, with plans to ultimately scale up production to 50 reactors per year.
Doug Bernauer, CEO and Founder of Radiant, said:
“Micro-scaled nuclear, mass produced for the first time ever, can transform how the public thinks about nuclear energy. This funding enables us to build our factory and keep to our DOME schedule, where we will achieve self-sustained chain reaction on a reactor designed by, built by, fueled by, and operated by Radiant alongside our partners at the Idaho National Lab.”
The new funding round was led by Draper Associates and Boost VC, also includes additional investment from Founders Fund, ARK Venture Fund, Chevron Technology Ventures, and others.
Tim Draper, Founder and Managing Partner of Draper Associates, said:
“Portable nuclear power is going to provide the bulk of our incremental energy in the years to come and Radiant is executing with purpose not just towards turning on their first reactor, but building them at scale in months, not years.”
