The big news Elon Musk’s Twitter frenzy last week was nothing more, but the announcement that scientists had finally cracked the big test of fusion power – generating more energy than the fusion reaction they’d successfully controlled.
The power of fusion, which had always seemed like science fiction and just as plausible, suddenly took a very tangible step into reality.
That doesn’t mean anyone will hook up a fusion power plant to the grid tomorrow or even in 10 years. But it gives a boost to a field that has been brimming with confidence of late. The convergence of growth has led to a wave of startups and investments. Last year alone, investors bet $2.7 billion on merger startups.
Many of the investments were part of larger rounds raising hundreds of millions of dollars in capital. No wonder – fusion power is hard tech, and it will take years of concerted research and development to bring it to fruition.
But what if you’re an investor with tens of millions of dry powder not ready for consolidation? Thankfully, not all startups are unicorns. There are many new companies hoping to develop new ideas for power plants, as well as software companies and suppliers to build a supply chain for the $40 trillion industry, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.
There are five companies we are tracking.
