Thea Energy (formerly Princeton Stellarators) was founded in 2022 with a focus on leveraging recent breakthroughs in stellarator physics and engineering to create a faster, simpler approach to commercializing fusion energy. Thea Energy is reinventing the stellarator using computer-controlled arrays of planar coils and replacing the intricate, complex modular magnets required in all other proposed stellarator architectures. Stellarators are inherently steady-state, stable magnetic configurations that eliminate potential disruptions, making it an optimal pilot plant architecture. Thea Energy is building off foundational research and technology development that it spun out of Princeton University and Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, where the stellarator was first imagined in 1951. Thea Energy's proprietary breakthroughs have now enabled systems to be simpler and more practical than previously possible resulting in a system design that can scale to long-term commercial system operation and maintenance.
I'll be speaking at FusionXInvest:Japan (FusionX Group) this October in Tokyo! Join us for critical conversations regarding the rapidly growing #fusion industry, commercialization, and recent tech advancements.
Looking forward to discussing the hard work being done across the industry, including Thea Energy’s recent successes in building and testing programmable planar high-temperature superconducting magnets.
Hope to catch you there!
https://lnkd.in/ey_4MrKv#FusionX
Headed to the #NYCW kickoff hosted by Climate Tech Cocktails? We are excited to be at the company showcase starting at 8 p.m. ET on Sept. 23 at Brooklyn Paramount!
Stop by our table to see how we are reinventing the #stellarator with programmable planar coil magnets. We will also demonstrate the power of high-temperature #superconductors with a levitating magnet display.
Register here: https://lnkd.in/dM9dabyt#ClimateWeekNYC
⭐ Continuing our #EmployeeHighlight series with Kevin Tang, senior magnet engineer.
🌍 Kevin found a career in #fusion because he is passionate about helping to curtail #ClimateChange and power the future!
🎲 When not building and testing high-temperature superconducting magnets, Kevin is playing board games, bouldering, and traveling!
Headed to #APSDPP24? Our team will be in Atlanta sharing more on the design and optimization of Eos, a large scale, fully integrated planar coil #stellarator.
Find out more during JP12: poster session IV.
You can also find us at the #JobFair taking place October 8-10.
View the full scientific program: https://lnkd.in/grUcbSzCAmerican Physical Society
Join the Fusion Industry Association and Jefferies’ Sustainability & Transition Strategy team for an event on Monday, September 23rd for NYC Climate Week. Hear from leading investors and fusion companies on the status of the fusion energy industry and investment driving acceleration. We will also be joined by RMI for insights into scaling climate tech more broadly.
The timeline for the commercial deployment of fusion energy is mid-2030's—not “in 20 years”. There is currently over $7B in funding towards private fusion energy companies (with >80% directed towards 25 US companies). There is significant progress on the supply side, including new materials (ie high temperature superconductors, advanced magnets and lasers) and high speed computing, with additional application outside fusion energy.
60 years of scientific research has catalyzed funding into a new paradigm focused on bringing fusion to the grid. There is a global race to fusion commercialization; governments from the US, Japan, UK, Germany, China, Korea, and the EU are now focused on scaling fusion vs a previous research driven agenda.
Now is the time for investors and industry participants alike to understand what is required to scale fusion energy. Fusion akin to other early stage climate solutions will need to move to demonstration and deployment. Understanding the suite of enabling technologies, costs, and infrastructure & integration requirements will all be key in doing this.
This half day event will bring together investors and companies from the fusion industry together to understand what’s required for climate tech to scale via the prism of fusion energy.
You can RSVP at the link below.
Climate Group#ClimateWeekNYChttps://lnkd.in/eywqqp-G
Looking forward to participating again in Newlab’s New Climate Futures during #ClimateWeekNYC on September 26. Come meet with our team to learn more about the potential of #FusionEnergy and see:
🧲 Our core technology, planar coil high-temperature superconducting magnets
🧲 A demonstration of #superconductivity with floating magnets and liquid nitrogen
Get ready for Climate Week’s biggest event!
New Climate Futures, Newlab's flagship annual event, is back and this year we’ll once again convene over 1,000 of the most innovative entrepreneurs, industry leaders, investors, and policymakers at NY Climate Week's most vibrant party.
Get Tickets: https://lnkd.in/gNE-3bNt
🌱 Next up, let’s dive into the world of fusion energy with Brian Berzin, Co-founder and CEO of Thea Energy!
Founded in 2022, Thea Energy is on a mission to revolutionize fusion energy by harnessing the latest breakthroughs in stellarator physics and engineering. They’re taking a faster, simpler approach to commercializing fusion energy, ditching the complex, modular magnets in favor of sleek, computer-controlled arrays of planar coils. Talk about a game-changer!
Brian first set his sights on the fusion space in 2016, when there were only two VC-funded fusion startups in the U.S. Fast forward to today, and that number has skyrocketed to over 40! We’ll uncover what sparked Brian’s interest back then and how he’s continued to master this rapidly evolving field.
💡 Fun fact: Fusion energy boils down to largely two buckets-
Magnetic confinement: Using powerful magnets to keep plasma in check.
Inertial confinement: Using lasers or other techniques to quickly heat or compress plasma, creating the perfect fusion conditions.
💼 Quick Glance at Brian’s Journey:
👉 BS in Finance and Electrical Engineering from Lehigh University
👉 Founder of LUMENESSENCE
👉 Investment Banking Analyst at Houlihan Lokey
👉 VP Strategy at General Fusion
👉 Investor at Aeterna Capital Partners
Brian shares some wisdom on building a successful company: “There’s always something to learn, and often, you can learn it from those who’ve been there before.”
We love his growth mindset! And let’s not forget the powerful reminder: no matter how tough the problem you’re tackling, if you’re resourceful, you don’t have to go it alone. The magic of learning from others is real!
Why do we think this so cool? Brian’s work is set to reshape the future—manufacturing energy without depending on natural resources. Talk about changing the way humanity functions!
Tune in next week as we explore some of the most impactful tech set to shape the world for centuries, tackling climate change and the geopolitics of energy. Oh, and did we mention there’s a massive opportunity for #AI and #ML in this space too? 😉
Subscribe: https://lnkd.in/g2A9uNFY#climatetech#startups#earthfirst#innovation#technology#sustainability#leadership#climatechange#fusion#FusionEnergy
Thea Energy co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Dr. David Gates, and Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) received an Edison Patent Award from the Research & Development Council of New Jersey for the invention of the planar coil #stellarator! Read more about the recognition and how the planar coil stellarator is a simpler, more practical approach to commercial #fusion in this article from Jeanne Jackson DeVoe.
Stellarators have been described as twisty 🥨 fusion devices, but a new invention eliminates the twisty coils of previous stellarator designs, offering a more practical approach to fusion. ⚛️
Recognized by the Research & Development Council of NJ with a 2024 Edison Patent Award, the planar coil stellarator was developed by David Gates who is now with Thea Energy. ➡️ https://bit.ly/470Xlxn