Pioneering laser-driven fusion power

Marvel Fusion, a leading company in laser-driven fusion power, was founded in 2019 by Moritz von der Linden, Georg Korn, Karl-Georg Schlesinger, and Pasha Shabalin. The founders were conducting due diligence on multiple fusion companies for a VC when they decided that the enabling technologies had reached the necessary maturity to accelerate laser fusion using the latest laser and nanofabrication technologies and started Marvel Fusion.

Early stages and concept validation

In 2019, Marvel Fusion secured a seed investment from Blueyard Capital, which was used for concept development and team ramp-up. The seed investment also helped to establish a commercial partnership with the laser company Thales. With Thales, Marvel Fusion upgraded laser systems in Germany and Romania, to validate key aspects of the fusion concept. These initiatives allowed the company to demonstrate fundamental parts of the concept. In partnership with Siemens Energy, Marvel Fusion started working on initial fusion power plant designs. These early investments and partnerships enabled it to advance its technology and bring it closer to commercialization.

Series A funding and strategic partnerships

In 2022, Marvel Fusion successfully raised $35m in its Series A equity funding round, with Earlybird leading the investment. The strong commercial partnerships that the company had established substantiated the potential of its technology and enabled the funding round. Marvel Fusion started conducting feasibility studies with energy-intensive industries to investigate the potential commercial applications of its technology. Additionally, it partnered with BASF to develop nanostructured fuel targets using chemical compounds. It strengthened its team with renowned scientists such as Prof. Siegfried Glenzer and engineers for building the demonstration facility.

Funding and future prospects

To date, Marvel Fusion benefits from over $200m in private funding and public collaboration projects, including $50m for the development of laser infrastructure via SPRIN-D and the public-private-partnership with the Colorado State University, constructing the leading laser-fusion-research facility worth $150m.

The company plans to hire additional senior experts in experimental physics and engineering. The company also intends to collaborate with top universities to refine its nanostructures for fusion applications. Ultimately, Marvel Fusion’s objective is to construct a laser facility designed for a commercial fusion approach with a scalable laser system, reaching the size of a power-plant prototype by 2032.