Fusion energy has been “20 years away” for decades, but hasthe sciencefinallycaughtup? Private investment in fusion companiessurged from$10 billionto$15billionin just months, and the money is coming from places youwouldn’texpect.
On this episode of TechCrunch’sEquitypodcast, Rebecca Bellan and guest host Tim De Chant sit down withRachel Slaybaugh, general partner at DCVC, to break down why serious investors are finally treating fusion as a real asset class, and what the return thesis actually looks like when no one expects a power plant in their fund lifetime.
Listen to the full episode to hear about:
- Why the investment thesis for fusion looks less like traditional VC and more like biotech or SpaceX, and what “fusion euphoria” has to do with it
- What the Q value milestoneactually means, and how close leading startups are to hitting the number that could trigger a public market opening
- How superconducting tape and AI-assisted plasma physics are quietly doing as much work as the big headline science breakthroughs
- Why one fusion company merging with Trump Media and Technology Group had Tim doing adouble-takeat his inbox
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