Washington takes a stake in fusion startup Commonwealth Fusion: 85 million dollars for chips that have to survive a reactor

The US government will give 85 million dollars (about 73 million euros) to the startup Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) to develop advanced chips for nuclear fusion power plants. The money isn't just aid: under the CHIPS Act, the Commerce Department award also gives the state a stake in the company.

The context matters. Fusion startups are racing to finish their first demonstration devices, and CFS plans to switch on its SPARC reactor sometime next year. But one reactor is only proof that it can be done. If they want to build dozens of commercial power plants, they'll need tougher power electronics and a reliable supply chain.

The money goes into five initiatives. The first is silicon carbide electronics - semiconductors that handle high voltages and are found everywhere, from LED bulbs and electric vehicles to base stations and data centres. In a fusion machine they power the superconducting magnets that keep the plasma trapped inside the reactor. Next come a new generation of radio-frequency generators that heat the fuel, and radiation-hardened electronics for faster reactor control, which would last longer and lower operating costs.

The last item is the most recognisable for this year: part of the money will go towards adapting artificial intelligence hardware, GPUs and TPU chips, to work in power plants. It seems that in 2026 there's no serious funding application without an AI line item.

"Ultimately, that means a more capable and more economical power plant, and a stronger American supply chain to build it," CFS co-founder and chief scientist Brandon Sorbom wrote. The sentence says it all: this is as much an industrial project as an energy one, in which the state isn't just giving money but becoming an owner. Will Europe, which has been talking about its own chips for years, find money for fusion too - or will it one day be buying this technology from the Americans as well?