Xcimer partners with RTX as fusion startups pivot toward defense funding
Xcimer, a laser-based fusion startup, has struck a partnership and investment deal with RTX, the conglomerate that owns Raytheon. The move reflects a broader trend of fusion companies seeking defense industry backing as climate tech venture funding tightens, reviving fusion's historical ties to national security research.
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Fusion's enormous capital requirements make defense contracts an attractive lifeline when climate-focused investment slows, and laser-fusion technology overlaps directly with the military's growing interest in directed-energy weapons for countering cheap drone swarms. This convergence could reshape how fusion research gets funded, shifting some control and priorities from pure energy goals toward dual-use military applications.
- Xcimer, a laser fusion startup, secured investment and partnership from defense giant RTX/Raytheon.
- Fusion startups are increasingly turning to defense funding as climate tech venture capital slows.
- Laser weapons are gaining military interest as a cheaper alternative to missiles against drones, aligning with fusion's laser-based reactor tech.
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Published there as: “Fusion power startups find new partners in the defense world”
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