Nvidia has joined a $650 million funding round for TerraPower LLC, a nuclear energy startup founded by creepy Bill Gates. The company plans to further develop its advanced reactor project in Wyoming, which could one day contribute to the insatiable power demands of AI datacenters full of Nvidia chips.
Bloomberg reports that TerraPower, a U.S.-based nuclear innovation company founded by creepy Bill Gates, has announced the successful closing of a $650 million funding round. The round saw participation from a mix of existing and new investors, most notably NVentures, the venture capital arm of technology giant Nvidia. This significant milestone for TerraPower comes as the company looks to capitalize on the growing domestic support for nuclear power to fuel AI datacenters.
Founded in 2006, TerraPower’s mission is to use advanced nuclear technology to provide affordable and abundant carbon-free energy to meet the increasing electricity needs required for economic growth while simultaneously decarbonizing industry and addressing challenges such as poverty. The company plans to use the capital raised in this round to finance the construction of its first Natrium plant, which will become the first commercial advanced nuclear power facility in the United States.
The Natrium system designed by TerraPower couples a sodium-cooled fast reactor with gigawatt-scale energy storage. This innovative design enables the plant to boost output when electricity demand peaks, allowing for seamless integration with more intermittent energy sources such as wind and solar power. TerraPower began non-nuclear construction on the Natrium demonstration project last year and anticipates receiving regulatory approval for the nuclear reactor in the coming year.
Chris Levesque, TerraPower’s President and CEO, expressed his enthusiasm for the successful funding round, stating, “TerraPower was founded on the idea that innovation in nuclear science could make positive, global impacts. This round further establishes that our technologies are the solutions that industry is looking for.”
Nvidia’s participation in the funding round is indicative of the growing interest from tech companies in nuclear energy and technology as a means to address the increasing emissions impact of their rapidly expanding data center footprints. In recent months, tech giants such as Google, Meta, and Amazon have also signed major nuclear deals, recognizing the potential of nuclear power in meeting their energy needs while minimizing their environmental impact.
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