Meet the first startup in history to split the atom

Leave a CommentMeet the first startup in history to split the atomPower

Project Nova is a landmark achievement announced on November 17, 2025, by Valar Atomics in collaboration with Los Alamos National Laboratory’s National Criticality Experiments Research Center (NCERC) and the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS).

It involves a series of zero-power (or “cold”) critical tests on the company’s Nova Core, a scaled-down prototype of their advanced reactor design.

  • On November 17, 2025, at 11:45 AM PT, the Nova Core achieved zero-power criticality for the first time — meaning a self-sustaining nuclear fission chain reaction was established without generating usable power or significant heat.
  • This is described as the reactor’s “first heartbeat,” validating core physics, neutron behavior, control rod performance, and fuel characteristics.
  • Valar claims this makes them the first venture-backed startup in history to achieve criticality (and thus “split the atom” in a controlled reactor setting), a historic milestone for private-sector nuclear innovation.
  • The tests build on prior LANL work (like the 2024 Deimos experiment) and will run for several weeks, providing data to de-risk full-scale operations.

The Nova Core uses HALEU (High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium) TRISO fuel in a graphite-moderated, helium-cooled configuration — mirroring their production reactor design.

Valar Atomics Overview

Valar Atomics is a California-based nuclear startup founded in 2023 by CEO Isaiah Taylor (a high school dropout turned serial entrepreneur). They’re building high-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs) using helium coolant, TRISO particles (extremely robust, meltdown-resistant fuel), and graphite moderators. These reactors operate at ~800–950°C — far hotter than traditional light-water reactors — making them ideal for industrial heat, not just electricity.

Mission

To scale nuclear energy beyond the grid by mass-producing one standardized reactor design thousands of times. They aim to create abundant, cheap, carbon-neutral energy and synthetic hydrocarbons (“clean oil and gas from thin air”) using atmospheric CO₂ + nuclear heat via processes like the Sulfur-Iodine cycle and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. This powers AI data centers, heavy industry (steel, chemicals), desalination, hydrogen production, and defense — all cheaper than fossil fuels and fully off-grid.Their slogan: Unlock economies of scale with “gigasites” — massive industrial clusters of hundreds-to-thousands of reactors at single locations, like nuclear gigafactories.

Series A Funding

  • Closed $130 million Series A in early November 2025 (just days before Project Nova success).
  • Led by Snowpoint Ventures, Day One Ventures, and Dream Ventures.
  • Notable participants: Palmer Luckey (Anduril/Oculus founder), Shyam Sankar (Palantir CTO), and others.
  • Total funding now exceeds $150 million (including a ~$19–20M seed round earlier in 2025).

This capital accelerates gigasite development and their Ward 250 reactor.

Future Plans & Amazing Highlights

  • Ward 250 reactor: Their flagship 100–250 MWt modular HTGR. Construction already underway in Utah (broke ground September 2025 at San Rafael Energy Lab) and the Philippines.
  • Goal: Achieve full-power criticality by July 4, 2026 — part of the U.S. DOE’s aggressive Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program (selected alongside companies like Oklo). Valar is one of the fastest-moving participants.
  • Long-term: Deploy gigasites with thousands of reactors producing synthetic fuels at trillion-dollar scale, disrupting oil markets while being net-zero.
  • They’re suing the NRC (with other startups/states) to streamline licensing, arguing small HTGRs deserve lighter regulation due to inherent safety (TRISO fuel is walk-away safe; spent fuel allegedly low-radiation enough to hold briefly).

Why this is amazing:

  • From founding (2023) → seed funding → ground-breaking → criticality in ~2 years — “Manhattan Project speeds” in the private sector.
  • First private company to go critical without being a legacy giant or pure national-lab project.
  • Positions nuclear as a scalable, factory-built commodity for the AI/energy explosion, not bespoke megaprojects.
  • Backed by Trump-era executive orders fast-tracking advanced reactors on U.S. soil.
  • Valar Atomics is one of the most aggressive and well-funded players in the new nuclear renaissance — if they hit 2026 milestones, they’ll redefine what’s possible for clean, abundant energy. Their official site (valaratomics.com) has renders and deeper tech docs if you want to dive in.