Commonwealth Fusion Systems gets $85 million to build fusion chips
The Department of Commerce awarded the startup federal funding to develop specialized semiconductors and secure a government stake in the company.
By Malik Salazar ·
Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) announced on Thursday that it has secured an $85 million award from the U.S. government. The funds, issued under the CHIPS Act by the Department of Commerce, will support the development of advanced semiconductors specifically designed for the fusion power industry. As part of the agreement, the federal government will also take a stake in the company.
The money is allocated across five distinct initiatives aimed at expanding domestic manufacturing and research. The first focus is the advancement of silicon carbide power electronics. These semiconductors manage high voltages and are already used in electric vehicles, data centers, and LED lighting. In fusion reactors, they handle intense electrical bursts required to drive the superconducting magnets that confine plasma.
CFS also plans to develop next-generation radio-frequency power generators, which are essential for heating fusion fuel. A third initiative targets advanced electronics that allow for faster reactor control while being hardened against radiation. The company stated that these radiation-resistant components could extend the lifespan of equipment inside a fusion plant, thereby reducing long-term operating costs.
The final initiative involves adapting artificial intelligence hardware, including GPUs and TPUs, for use in power plant operations. Brandon Sorbom, co-founder and chief science officer at CFS, wrote in a blog post that these efforts aim to create a more capable and economical power plant while strengthening the U.S. supply chain.
The award arrives as fusion startups race to complete their first demonstration machines. CFS is targeting a switch-on date for its Sparc reactor sometime next year. While a single reactor serves as a proof of concept, companies planning to build dozens of commercial facilities will need durable power electronics and a reliable supply chain.
Sorbom noted that the funding will improve the U.S. chip and power electronics industries while accelerating the progress of fusion energy toward the electrical grid. The government’s investment marks a direct financial commitment to the hardware required to make fusion power commercially viable.
