GoKawiilAs the grid strains under the weight of electrification and AI data centers, tech companies and utilities have been evaluating whether nuclear power can help with the burden. After the two most recent reactors built in the U.S. went over budget and past schedule, they aren’t keen to repeat the past.
But Jake Jurewicz, co-founder and CEO startup Blue Energy, believes the answer to faster, cheaper buildouts can actually be found in the industry’s early history.
Blue Energy wants to build nuclear reactors in shipyards because these locations can handle large amounts of steel and can be easily shipped to the project site once completed.
“The nuclear power technology that is most common — light water reactors — was originally invented for nuclear submarines,” Jurewicz told TechCrunch. “There has actually always been a history of basically pre-fabbing it and looking at it in a shipyard context.”
To kickstart development on its first power plant — a 1.5 gigawatt project slated to begin construction later this year in Texas — Blue Energy has raised $380 million in financing split between equity and debt. The round was led by VXI Capital with participation from At One Ventures, Engine Ventures, and Tamarack Global.
Unlike many nuclear startups, Blue Energy is not designing a new reactor, and instead rethinking how reactors and power plants are built. Jurewicz was inspired by the process Venture Global uses to build export terminals for liquified natural gas. One of his friends works at the company, and when Jurewicz heard more about its approach to building LNG projects, he said it “really clicked.”
“They cut the schedule in half doing this, which was very disruptive,” he said.
Techcrunch event Meet your next investor or portfolio startup at Disrupt
Your next round. Your next hire. Your next breakout opportunity. Find it at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, where 10,000+ founders, investors, and tech leaders gather for three days of 250+ tactical sessions, powerful introductions, and market-defining innovation. Register now to save up to $410. Meet your next investor or portfolio startup at Disrupt
Your next round. Your next hire. Your next breakout opportunity. Find it at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, where 10,000+ founders, investors, and tech leaders gather for three days of 250+ tactical sessions, powerful introductions, and market-defining innovation. Register now to save up to $410. San Francisco, CA | REGISTER NOW
... continue reading