- Zap Energy raised $130 million in Series D funding to advance compact fusion systems and launch the century test platform for commercial fusion energy.
- The Century platform completed over 1,000 plasma tests and integrates critical technologies for future fusion power plants, using a compact, scalable Z-pinch approach
- Investors, including Soros Fund Management and Chevron Technology Ventures, back the company, which employs 150 people and aims to lead in sustainable fusion energy development.
Zap Energy raised $130 million in a Series D funding round, bringing its total financing to $330 million. The company plans to use the funds to speed up the development of its compact fusion systems and pursue commercial fusion power plants.
Soros Fund Management led the round, which included new investors like BAM Elevate, Emerson Collective, Leitmotif, Mizuho Financial Group, Plynth Energy, and Xplor Ventures. Existing investors participated, including Addition, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Chevron Technology Ventures, and Shell Ventures. Their involvement signals increasing confidence in Zap Energy’s fusion technology.
In tandem with the funding, Zap Energy launched *Century*, its new test platform in Everett, Washington. Century integrates several critical technologies for fusion power plants, including a plasma-facing liquid metal blanket that manages the intense heat from fusion reactions—century completed over 1,000 consecutive plasma tests in its first three hours.
Zap Energy’s fusion approach uses sheared-flow-stabilized Z-pinch technology, eliminating the need for large superconducting magnets or powerful lasers in conventional fusion systems. This design makes the system more compact and easier to scale, positioning it for faster progress in fusion energy.
The Century platform simulates power plant operations by firing high-voltage pulses every 10 seconds over two hours, producing over 1,000 pulses. In its initial configuration, the system circulates 70 kilograms of liquid bismuth to absorb heat, which will scale up to over a ton in its final version. Air-cooled heat exchangers handle the heat collected by the liquid metal.
Zap Energy will allocate the new funding to plasma research and the integration of power plant systems. This effort includes advancing the next generation of its FuZE device and developing a state-of-the-art pulsed power capacitor bank. These initiatives align with the US Department of Energy’s fusion development milestones.
Zap Energy CEO Benj Conway described the company’s approach as a simultaneous focus on science, engineering, and commercialisation. “Century is key to the engineering phase, and we are moving fast,” Conway said.
Vice President of Systems Engineering Matthew C. Thompson, highlighted the founders’ vision for a Z-pinch-based power plant. “Our task now is to build and test the key technologies needed,” Thompson stated.
Century operates with 100 kilowatts of input power, comparable to the electricity consumption of 75 US homes. The test chamber is the size of a water heater, while its central structure is similar to a double-decker bus. This size closely mirrors a future Zap Energy module, generating 50 megawatts of electricity. Power plants will link multiple modules to reach higher energy capacities.
Zap Energy employs 150 people in Seattle and San Diego. Backed by leading investors, the company aims to accelerate the clean energy transition with its innovative fusion technology.