Avalanche Energy Raises $29 Million Following Plasma Physics Breakthroughs

Avalanche Energy, a Seattle-based start-up developing enormously energy-dense compact fusion machines for clean power generation, led by Robin Langtry, Brian Riordan, Kate Kelly, Michael Prato, and others, has announced $29 million in new funding led by RA Capital Management. New investors include 8090 Industries, Overlay Capital, and others, with full participation from existing investors Congruent Ventures, Founders Fund, Lowercarbon Capital, and Toyota Ventures.

The funding reflects recent performance advances in Avalanche’s compact fusion technology and provides the private matching capital for a $10M grant awarded in July 2025 by the Washington State Department of Commerce Green Jobs Grant Program. The capital also supports continued commercial growth and the next phase of development, including licensing for commercial-scale fusion operations and preparation for a Deuterium–Tritium Q>1 test program.

The funding will primarily scale FusionWERX, Avalanche’s commercial-scale fusion test facility in Richland, Washington, while supporting team expansion, procurement of long-lead equipment such as superconducting magnets, and development of next-generation compact fusion devices for applications spanning material irradiation, mobile power, and electric grid support.

Avalanche launched FusionWERX in April 2025 as the first commercial-scale fusion test facility for the broader fusion industry, with full licensing and advanced tritium handling expected by 2027. The facility will support technology testing, materials development, workforce training, and Avalanche’s Q>1 deuterium–tritium program targeting net-energy compact fusion.

In 2025, Avalanche achieved a 300 kV vacuum high-voltage breakthrough, setting a record 5,000 kV/m for magneto-electrostatic fusion, and published three peer-reviewed papers on its Orbitron confinement approach, advancing toward scalable, high-flux fusion performance.

“Avalanche stands out for its focus on commercial systems rather than isolated experiments,” said Rayyan Islam, Co-Founder and General Partner at 8090 Industries. “FusionWERX, modular fusion machines, isotope production, and rapid iteration reflect a team building commercial infrastructure from the outset, with a clear path from physics to product and the potential to accelerate fusion’s transition into the real economy.”

Avalanche’s compact, modular fusion technology targets energy needs across defense, space, and commercial markets, including remote power, advanced propulsion, and operations in grid-constrained environments. Rapid design iteration on timescales of days rather than years represents a fundamental shift in fusion development methodology.