Twilio Co-Founder's Fusion Power Venture Secures $450M Series A from Bessemer and GV
Inertia Enterprises has successfully closed a $450 million Series A funding round to develop one of the world's most powerful laser systems, aimed at establishing the foundation for a grid-scale fusion power plant with construction scheduled to commence in 2030.
The round was led by Bessemer Venture Partners, with participation from GV (formerly Google Ventures), Modern Capital, Threshold Ventures, and additional strategic investors.
Leadership and Technical Foundation
Inertia Enterprises was co-founded by a distinguished team including:
• Jeff Lawson - Twilio co-founder and former CEO• Annie Kircher - Lead scientist behind successful experiments at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's National Ignition Facility (NIF), who maintains her position at the laboratory
• Mike Dunne - Stanford professor who contributed to Lawrence Livermore's power plant design architecture based on NIF technology
The company is leveraging breakthrough technology developed at the National Ignition Facility, currently the only facility worldwide to achieve controlled fusion reactions with scientific breakeven - where energy output exceeds input requirements.
Technical Architecture and Innovation
Inertia's approach centers on inertial confinement fusion (ICF), utilizing laser arrays to bombard fuel targets. The process involves compressing fuel until atomic fusion occurs, releasing substantial energy. The system employs a sophisticated mechanism where laser energy is converted to X-rays within the target chamber, which subsequently heat and compress the fuel pellet.
The company's commercial power plant design requires:
• 1,000 high-powered lasers delivering 10 kilojoules at 10 Hz repetition rate• Mass-producible 4.5mm fuel targets costing less than $1 per unit
• Significantly simplified manufacturing compared to NIF's painstakingly crafted targets requiring dozens of hours each
This represents a substantial departure from NIF's 192-laser configuration and custom-fabricated targets, applying commercial engineering principles to achieve dramatic cost reduction.
Industry Investment Landscape
The funding announcement joins a surge of capital flowing into the fusion energy sector. Recent notable investments include:
• Avalanche Energy: $29 million for desktop-sized fusion reactor development• Type One Energy: $87 million raised, currently pursuing $250 million Series B
• Commonwealth Fusion Systems: $863 million from Google, Nvidia, and Breakthrough Energy Ventures
The fusion startup ecosystem has now attracted over $10 billion in total investment, with at least a dozen companies securing funding exceeding $100 million.
Additionally, two fusion companies have announced public market entries via reverse mergers:
• General Fusion: Merging with Spring Valley III SPAC at $1 billion valuation• TAE Technologies: Combining with Trump Media & Technology Group in $6 billion all-stock transaction
Inertia's substantial Series A positions the company to advance from laboratory-proven concepts toward commercial-scale fusion power generation, targeting grid deployment within the decade.
Sources:
Inertia Enterprises Official Website
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory - NIF Target Fabrication
