Helical Fusion is taking solid steps toward commercial fusion with a stellarator design, leveraging Japan’s proven manufacturing capabilities.
TOKYO--BUSINESS WIRE--
Helical Fusion Co., Ltd. (“Helical Fusion”), a private fusion energy developer based in Japan, has closed its Series A round, securing JPY 2.3 billion (USD 15 million) in funding. This brings total capital—including grants and loans—to JPY 5.2 billion (USD 35 million), accelerating the “Helix Program”, a roadmap toward a steady-state net power fusion plant in the 2030s.
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Helix KANATA – The world’s first steady-state net power fusion plant under development by Helical Fusion (central cross-section view)
The Urgency of Fusion
Global electricity demand is projected to rise sharply by 2050, fueled by population growth and the rapid expansion of energy-hungry technologies like AI. Conventional sources cannot sustainably meet this demand. Fusion, fueled by abundant seawater, offers zero-carbon baseload energy—if technical and economic barriers can be overcome.
Analysts project a USD 550 billion annual market for fusion by mid-century*. Helical Fusion’s Series A attracted investors including SBI Investment, Keio Innovation Initiative (KII), and 17 other institutions(19 in total) alongside individual investors and public financial institutions, reflecting a growing commitment across Asia to compete in the global fusion race.
Why Helical Stellarator? Proven Path to Steady-State Operation
The fusion reactor developed by Helical Fusion is based on the stellarator design—a magnetic confinement approach that enables inherently stable, continuous plasma operation.
Unlike pulsed approaches such as tokamaks or laser-based fusion, the stellarator has a proven track record of steady-state operation, backed by decades of experimental data.
Our concept builds on nearly 70 years of worldwide research, particularly at the National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS) in Japan, home to the Large Helical Device (LHD)—one of the world’s most advanced stellarator facilities.
By applying this scientific legacy to modern engineering and manufacturing, Helical Fusion aims to deliver the world’s first commercially viable stellarator for electricity generation.
“Helix KANATA”: The First Steady-State Net Power Fusion Plant
The flagship of Helical Fusion’s effort is Helix KANATA (watch our concept animation: https://youtu.be/XMXTviHZe6w ), a full-scale pilot plant designed for steady-state, net-electric fusion power. Preceding it is Helix HARUKA, an intermediate device for component and system validation. Together, they form the Helix Program, targeting:
- Continuous operation — stable power 24/7/365
- Net electricity — energy-positive performance
- High maintainability — efficient maintenance for high uptime
From Science to Engineering: Advancing Beyond the Experimental Stage
What sets the Helical Stellarator apart from other approaches is that it has already cleared the critical scientific phase of plasma, —an essential requirement for a commercial plant. This allows Helical Fusion to focus on the next phase: engineering and manufacturing a real-world fusion power plant.
Helical Fusion is now collaborating with leading industrial partners known for world-class manufacturing capabilities, steadily turning concepts into reality through technical partnerships, joint research agreements, and engineering collaborations.
These partnerships span a wide range of technical domains, including the development of proprietary high-temperature superconducting magnets and liquid metal blankets, both critical to realizing commercial fusion power plants.
Message from Takaya Taguchi, Co-Founder, CEO of Helical Fusion
Our goal is to build “another sun” on Earth.
Around the world, fusion development is accelerating. Yet among all the methods, our stellarator approach stands on the shoulders of decades of research conducted at Japan’s top universities and national institutes. When we consider what’s realistically achievable with today’s technology, we are sure that we are the one. Our technology will be an invaluable asset not just for Asia, but for humanity.
Until now, we have relied on the energy of the sun and the Earth. If we can create that energy ourselves, humanity will achieve true energy independence for the first time in its history. That’s why we believe that commercial fusion is “the ultimate step in humanity’s energy journey.”
This is an ambitious goal, and we cannot do it alone. We welcome partners who share our vision: to pioneer a new global industry, empower nations through energy independence, and lead the world into a more sustainable future.
*FusionX/Helixos report Global Fusion Market Analysis: Electricity, Supply Chain & Construction (https://fusionxinvest.com/data-analysis/analysis/)
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Contact details:
Helical Fusion Co., Ltd.
[email protected]