Type One Energy

Type One Energy is a private fusion technology company headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, dedicated to commercializing stellarator fusion energy. The company describes itself as a global fusion technology provider that brings "star power to Earth" through safe, clean, and affordable fusion energy, and partners with energy producers worldwide to rapidly scale stellarator technology. Its business model combines technology development with original equipment manufacturing: Type One Energy is the technology provider and original equipment manufacturer for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Infinity Two project, which the company calls the world's first grid-scale commercial fusion power plant. The company's origins trace back to academia. In 2019, a group of colleagues at the University of Wisconsin-Madison decided to form a private company to build the next generation of stellarator fusion power plants, leveraging their expertise in developing and operating the HSX experiment. Because academia could not access funding for power-producing fusion stellarators, they turned to private markets that were beginning to show interest in fusion startups and brought together stellarator experts from around the world to co-found Type One Energy. An early milestone was receiving a U.S. Department of Energy ARPA-E grant to begin concrete development of a fusion power plant design. In 2023, the company connected with Bill Gates-backed Breakthrough Energy Ventures, and CEO Christofer Mowry joined the team to turn the technical vision into commercial reality. Type One Energy received first-of-their-kind awards from the U.S. Department of Energy's Milestone-Based Fusion Development and INFUSE programs. Type One Energy's activities span physics research, engineering, and regulatory work. The company has published peer-reviewed physics basis in the Journal of Plasma Physics, submitted preliminary licensing applications for a fusion power plant, and advanced high-temperature superconducting magnet technology. In September 2025, the company reached an agreement with the Tennessee Valley Authority, laying out a path to build a fusion power plant in East Tennessee by the mid-2030s. In 2026, Tennessee issued Type One Energy the first such permit, allowing it to operate a nuclear fusion machine at the Bull Run site; Tennessee, TVA, and the United Kingdom also announced enhanced cooperation to accelerate commercial fusion deployment, focusing on supply chains, workforce development, and regulatory pathways that support safe and rapid commercialization. Type One Energy is privately held, with investors including Breakthrough Energy Ventures. Its senior management team includes CEO Christofer Mowry, Chief People Officer Pam Burke, Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel Charlie Baynes-Reid, Co-founder and Chief Science Officer John Canik, Chief Operating Officer Ryan Guerrero, Chief Commercial Officer Anthony Harbridge, Senior Vice President of External Affairs Matt Miles, Chief Technology Officer Thomas Sunn Pedersen, and Chief Administrative Officer Kairus Tarapore. In 2026, the company was named to Fast Company's list of the World's Most Innovative Companies, ranking in the top ten in the small company category of 51 to 200 employees.

Type One Energy was founded in 2019 by a group of colleagues at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who decided over a meal to form a private company and build a next-generation stellarator fusion power plant. The group brought deep expertise from developing and operating the HSX experiment at UW-Madison, and they gathered a team of stellarator experts from around the world. Their motivation was practical: funds for an energy-generating fusion stellarator were not available in academia, but private markets were beginning to show interest in fusion startups. The company's first major break came with an ARPA-E grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, which allowed it to begin concretely developing a fusion power plant design. In 2023, Type One Energy connected with Bill Gates-backed Breakthrough Energy Ventures, and CEO Christofer Mowry joined the team to turn the technical vision into a commercial reality. The company was awarded the first grants from the U.S. Department of Energy's Milestone-Based Fusion Development and INFUSE programs. Type One Energy describes itself as a global fusion technology provider bringing the power of the stars to Earth through safe, clean and affordable fusion energy. It partners with energy producers worldwide to rapidly commercialize and scale stellarator fusion technology. A central commercial relationship is with the Tennessee Valley Authority: Type One Energy is the technology provider and original equipment manufacturer to TVA's Infinity Two project, which the company describes as the world's first grid-scale commercial fusion power plant. In September 2025, Type One Energy reached an agreement with the Tennessee Valley Authority that outlines the path to building a fusion power plant in East Tennessee by the mid-2030s. The company has also published a peer-reviewed physics basis in the Journal of Plasma Physics, submitted the initial licensing application for a fusion power plant, and advanced high-temperature superconducting magnets. In 2026, Type One Energy was named to Fast Company's list of the World's Most Innovative Companies, making the Top 10 in the category for smaller companies with 51 to 200 employees. In August 2026, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation issued Type One Energy a first-of-its-kind license to operate nuclear fusion machines at the Bull Run Site, presented with Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee at the annual meeting of the Organization of Agreement States. In September 2026, the State of Tennessee, the Tennessee Valley Authority and the United Kingdom announced a strengthened partnership to accelerate commercial fusion deployment, focusing on supply chains, workforce development and enabling regulatory pathways that support safe and rapid commercial scale-up. Type One Energy is headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, and remains a private company backed by investors including Breakthrough Energy Ventures. Its senior management team combines scientific founders with energy-industry executives, including CEO Christofer Mowry, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer John Canik, Chief Technology Officer Thomas Sunn Pedersen, Chief Operating Officer Ryan Guerrero, Chief Commercial Officer Anthony Harbridge, Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel Charlie Baynes-Reid, Chief People Officer Pam Burke, Senior VP of External Affairs Matt Miles and Chief Administrative Officer Kairus Tarapore.

• 2026

  Named to Fast Company's World's Most Innovative Companies list for 2026, Top 10 among smaller companies with 51-200 employees.

• 2026

  TDEC issued Type One Energy a first-of-its-kind license to operate nuclear fusion machines at the Bull Run Site.

• 2026

  State of Tennessee, TVA and the United Kingdom announced a strengthened partnership to accelerate commercial fusion deployment.

• 2025

  September 2025 agreement with the Tennessee Valley Authority outlining the path to building a fusion power plant in East Tennessee by the mid-2030s.

• 2023

  Connected with Bill Gates-backed Breakthrough Energy Ventures; CEO Christofer Mowry joined the team.

• 2019

  Founded by colleagues from the University of Wisconsin-Madison to build a next-generation stellarator fusion power plant.

• Awarded an ARPA-E grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to begin concretely developing a fusion power plant design.

• Awarded the first grants from the U.S. Department of Energy's Milestone-Based Fusion Development and INFUSE programs.

Global fusion technology provider and original equipment manufacturer commercializing stellarator fusion energy for safe, clean and affordable power.

• Stellarator fusion power plant technology

• Infinity Two grid-scale commercial fusion power plant (TVA project)

• High-temperature superconducting magnets

• Fusion power plant design and engineering services

• 2026-10-06

  Type One Energy raises $200 million to build a fusion power plant by 2034[5]Type One Energy 融资2亿美元，拟于2034年前建成聚变发电厂techcrunch.com

  Reported: 2026-10-06

  Type One Energy, a Knoxville, Tennessee-based startup founded in 2019 to build fusion power plants, announced on Tuesday, October 6, 2026 that it has raised $200 million from investors, funding it says will support its aim of getting a fusion power plant on the grid by 2034.

  Weekdays and relative dates follow the original report; their exact calendar dates have not been verified.

1. 1Home - Type One Energytypeoneenergy.com
2. 2About Us - Type One Energytypeoneenergy.com
3. 3Type One Energy Earns Recognition from Fast Company on World's Most Innovative Companies List for 2026 - Type One Energytypeoneenergy.com
4. 4Type One Energy - Wikidatawikidata.org
5. 5Type One Energy 融资2亿美元，拟于2034年前建成聚变发电厂techcrunch.com