Most people don’t know that nuclear power, a clean, carbon-free energy source, explains 20% of electricity in the United States and more than half of its electricity is carbon-free. However, while large nuclear reactors are often (wrongly) maligned and face extraordinarily high and long-term regulatory hurdles, less attention has been paid to how nuclear fission can produce reliable, abundant, and clean energy in places outside the standard network. There are many places around the world where electricity supply is insufficient, unreliable or non-existent, including microgrids, military sites and more.
come in Radiant Industries. Radiant is building 1-megawatt portable nuclear reactors, the size of a shipping container, that can reliably produce power for 20 years. Its portable design allows energy to be produced wherever it is needed, without grid infrastructure. And its use of TRISO fuel cores and helium cooling ensures that the reactors are safe and resilient.
The payoff isn’t just clean, reliable power, it unlocks the ability to remove global reliance on diesel generators and the extraordinarily expensive, dangerous and complex logistics network that keeps diesel generators around the world powered and operating.
This is an incredibly ambitious challenge. To meet that, Radiant will need to become the first new commercial reactor design to undergo a fuel test in more than 50 years, a critical step on its path to reactor design approval.
If any group of people can execute a groundbreaking new technology in this space, it’s co-founders Doug Bernauer and Bob Urberger, and the rest of the Radiant team. They have experience in conceiving, designing and delivering new hardware technologies, accumulated from their combined time at SpaceX, McMaster-Carr and various US national laboratories and research centers. And they understand the important roles that environment and culture play in making the seemingly impossible possible. We believe this team and approach will pioneer and deliver a new era of nuclear power in the all-important microreactor market segment. Radiant prides itself on being “anti-stealth” with its designs and plans, and you can more information on their website.
We are honored to partner with Radiant and lead their Series B round. We started the American dynamism practice of investing in companies with exceptional founders that address the most pressing issues facing our country and the world at large. Small, modular, and portable nuclear reactors have the potential to usher in an era of energy abundance and reliability, and we’re excited about the Radiant team’s mission to make that happen. It’s a long journey and one we’re excited to be a part of.
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Radiant, the revolutionary startup which provides the low-cost, efficient, market-leading solution to global energy-grid operations, has recently been the center of attention for renowned venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. Recently, Andreessen Horowitz announced a major investment into the startup, affirming the company’s confidence in the success and potential of Radiant.
For many years, the search for an effective way to manage and monitor energy-grid operations at a large scale was the focus of many researchers and entrepreneurs alike. Fortunately, Radiant managed to develop a comprehensive solution that integrates the latest technology, innovative user-push features and efficient renewable energy solutions. By connecting the “last mile” of energy-grid operations Radiant has managed to drastically reduce costs and optimize resources across the energy industry.
Andreessen Horowitz, having made a name for itself as one of the most forward-thinking and successful venture investors, recognized the potential of Radiant’s product and focused their investment to ensure the success of the startup. While this investment can be seen as a huge win for Radiant, it is also a major stepping stone in the development of the energy-grid industry.
At Ikaroa, we take the development of new and innovative solutions in the energy-grid industry seriously. We believe that with the right technology and investment, renewable energy sources like solar can become more accessible to the mass market. As such, we are thrilled to see such a renowned and established venture investor recognize the potentials of such a revolutionary solution and make such a major financial commitment.
We are confident that the relationship between Radiant and Andreessen Horowitz will be conducive to achieving optimal results. We are looking forward to seeing the impact and success of the investments made, not just on the energy grid industry, but also the global energy market as a whole.
