Accelerated Iteration of Original Technology Paths with Promising Commercial Applications
STARTORUS FUSION employs a domestically developed and globally unique technical roadmap. This compact, repetitive reconnection controlled fusion solution is based on high-temperature superconducting (HTS) high-field spherical Tokamaks, characterized by multi-stroke repetitive operation and self-field magnetic reconnection heating.
Compared to traditional Tokamak fusion reactors, this approach offers a compact footprint and simplified structure, significantly reducing construction costs. Beyond large-scale and distributed power stations, its sleek design holds immense potential for high-integration scenarios such as offshore/deep-sea platforms and propulsion systems for large vessels. With technical advantages like high energy density, environmental friendliness, and self-limiting reactions, the technology is adaptable to a wide range of applications, offering broad commercial prospects.
Since its inception, STARTORUS FUSION has achieved major breakthroughs across multiple core technical fields related to spherical Tokamak reactors:
- Speed Records: In collaboration with Tsinghua University, the company built the SUNIST-2 (Experimental Device No. 0) and achieved first plasma via ohmic discharge in just 279 days, setting a world record for the construction of similar devices.
- Temperature Milestones: The company quickly validated its original repetitive reconnection scheme, with plasma temperatures exceeding 17 million degrees Celsius.
- AI Integration: AI has been deeply integrated into device monitoring, safety warnings, plasma diagnostics, and rapid equilibrium reconstruction, achieving high-quality real-time control of multiple plasma parameters.
- Innovative Design: The company designed and built NTST, the world’s first native negative triangularity spherical Tokamak. This device explores unprecedented parameter ranges, providing potential innovative solutions for future fusion reactors.
- HTS Technology: In the field of high-temperature superconducting magnets, the company has mastered the full technical process for developing fusion-grade full-scale magnet coils, completing the design, manufacturing, and testing of several critical magnets and components.
Furthermore, the company is actively building its self-sustaining capabilities by converting technical achievements into commercial products. It has successfully delivered hundreds of self-developed isolation amplifiers and ideal integrators, exported multiple HTS data acquisition systems, and completed the delivery of a plasma acceleration system. Its self-developed LIBS diagnostic system has gained significant industry attention, and its full-stack HTS magnet capabilities have led to several potential cooperation agreements.
A Core Competency Forged by a “Hard-Tech” Team with Tsinghua Background
STARTORUS FUSION originated as a technology transfer project from Tsinghua University. The core team members are all graduates of the Department of Engineering Physics at Tsinghua. Having been deeply involved in the fusion field for over 20 years, they represent one of the earliest teams in China to study controlled nuclear fusion and were the first domestic team to pursue the spherical Tokamak route.
Leveraging the research heritage and talent pool of Tsinghua University, the company continues to attract top academic talent. The R&D team has expanded rapidly from 10 initial members to over 140, with more than 70% holding Master’s or Doctoral degrees. This multi-disciplinary team covers the entire fusion industry chain, combining scientific research with engineering expertise.
After years of iteration, the company has developed the large-scale engineering management capabilities required for fusion energy development. Currently, the team is efficiently executing three generations of tasks simultaneously: Operating the current generation (SUNIST-2), Constructing the next (NTST), and Researching the future generation (CTRFR-1).
Integration into Shanghai’s Industrial Strategy: A New Era of Government-Enterprise Synergy
This funding round, led by Shanghai state-owned capital, marks STARTORUS FUSION’s official integration into Shanghai’s future industrial layout. Supported by Shanghai’s “4+3” advanced nuclear energy industrial framework, the company will accelerate engineering breakthroughs in spherical Tokamak technology. Under Shanghai’s “Government Guidance + Market Driven” innovation mechanism, STARTORUS FUSION will collaborate deeply with regional industrial clusters and link with top international research resources.
Simultaneously, STARTORUS FUSION has entered into a strategic partnership with the Jiading District Government of Shanghai to jointly promote the R&D and industrialization of the “STARTORUS-1” fusion device. Per the agreement, the company will establish an R&D center and experimental base in Jiading focused on engineering verification and breakthroughs in HTS magnets and plasma control.
- Government Support: Jiading District will provide comprehensive support in terms of land, funding, talent, and policy.
- Industrial Leadership: STARTORUS FUSION will act as an “industry chain leader,” uniting upstream and downstream enterprises to build a fusion energy industrial cluster.
The Shanghai Experimental Base covers approximately 25 acres with a total construction area of 50,000 square meters. It will feature three functional zones: a device hall, research workshops, and supporting service areas. Construction is expected to begin in early 2026 and be operational by 2027, becoming a leading domestic platform for fusion energy R&D.
This round of financing also received strong support from the Shanghai Institute of Science and Technology Finance and the Shanghai Angel Charity Foundation. As ecosystem partners, they expressed their commitment to empowering STARTORUS FUSION as it integrates into Shanghai’s future industries, helping to build an early-stage innovation ecosystem around the fusion sector and supporting Shanghai’s development as a global science and technology innovation center.