nT-Tao, a company dedicated to engineering compact and scalable nuclear fusion energy technology, has announced that Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Venture Capital, the Japanese asset management arm of Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company, has joined its Series A funding round in a deferred investment for an undisclosed sum.
Commenting on the participation, Ryosuke Ide, Investor of Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Venture Capital, said, “Fusion energy is the future of clean energy, and as a company that is dedicated to sustainable growth and addressing climate change, it is our responsibility to help enable that future.
“We are impressed with what nT-Tao has achieved in such a short amount of time and the scientific approach they are taking and are excited to be a part of their journey to bring the cleanest form of energy to humanity.”
nT-Tao explained it is pioneering a compact and scalable nuclear fusion solution aimed at “significantly reducing reliance on fossil fuels and overcoming the limitations of existing renewable energy sources.”
By leveraging the strengths of both tokamak and stellarator technologies (two competing approaches used in nuclear fusion research to confine plasma within magnetic fields to facilitate the fusion reactions), nT-Tao said it has developed its Compact Fusion Reactor and is currently in the experimental phase of C1, the first of its Series C prototypes.
The firm continued, “nT-Tao’s Compact Fusion Reactor design – the size of a shipping container – will be scalable and easily integrated into a multitude of settings and power requirements.
“Once commercialized, its versatile design and independent solution will make it adaptable for everything from industrial facilities to small towns and off-grid locations.”
Oded Gour-Lavie, CEO and Co-Founder of nT-Tao, went on, “We are excited to have MITSUI SUMITOMO INSURANCE Venture Capital join us on our mission as we continue to partner with companies dedicated to solving the climate crisis.
“This marks the second strategic investment in nT-Tao from a Japanese conglomerate, and we look forward to expanding our partnerships in Japan and beyond, as we accelerate research and development of our compact fusion energy solution.”
nT-Tao first announced its Series A round in February, closing $22M in funding led by Delek US, Next Gear Ventures and Mayer Cars & Trucks Group, with additional participation from Honda, the Grantham Foundation, the lead investor in the company’s seed round, J-IMPACT, East Innovate (the VC arm of East Alpha) and OurCrowd.
According to nT-Tao, these new funds enable it to continue to develop and test its Compact Fusion Reactor, expand its team of physicists, and pursue other regional and global partnerships.
