GoKawiilJeff Lawson has already helped build a company with more than $4 billion in revenue and 300,000 customers worldwide. After scaling Twilio into a public company, his next challenge reaches well beyond software: bringing fusion power to the grid as co-founder and CEO of Inertia.
It’s a striking change in direction. It also raises a question worth exploring: How much of what makes someone a successful software founder carries over when the next business depends on lasers, manufacturing, and major engineering milestones?
At TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, Lawson will explore that transition in “How Twilio’s Founder Is Tackling the Power Problem.” The fireside chat joins the Smart Systems Stage, where you’ll find the tech infrastructure programming, which includes climate and energy tracks, examining what changes when an experienced entrepreneur takes on a capital-intensive deep tech company.
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Join us October 13–15 at Moscone West in San Francisco, alongside 10,000+ founders, investors, and tech decision-makers. Get a closer look at the company-building decisions behind an ambitious energy venture. Register now and save up to $200 on your pass before rates increase on September 25 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Save up to 30% when you register as a group of four or more.
A $450 million raise is only the beginning
In February, Inertia announced a $450 million Series A, led by Bessemer Venture Partners, with participation from GV and other investors. The funding supports the development of powerful laser systems and the mass manufacture of fusion fuel targets — key steps in the company’s plans to turn laboratory science into grid-scale energy.
The ambition is taking physical shape. In July, Inertia opened a 50,000-square-foot headquarters in Livermore, California, with facilities for developing fuel-target manufacturing processes and laser technologies. The company also announced that it had recruited leaders from businesses, including Apple, Corning, and Waymo, to help build its manufacturing and supply-chain capabilities.
Want to learn more about raising major capital for your startup? Grab your Disrupt pass to lean in on Lawson’s onstage conversation. Save up to $200 before September 25 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
What you’ll leave with when you lean in on this session at Disrupt
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