Kyoto Fusioneering (KF)’s global footprint grew when we established our US base of operations in Seattle in September 2022.
With the US leading the world in fusion energy development, it was crucial for us as a company to establish a local presence to strengthen communication with customers and partners to grow our business on a global scale.
In this blog, we are excited to take you behind the scenes of KFA’s establishment and how we grew our presence in the US. We interviewed Takuma UENODAN, who was instrumental in setting up KFA, and Temma ABE, who currently works at KFA.
What motivated KF to establish an entity in the US?
Takuma:
The US is one of the most active countries for fusion energy development. Both the public sector, including multiple national research institutions, and private sector, with numerous private startups, are working to make fusion energy a reality. Since our strength lies in fusion plant engineering, building strong relationships with these companies and research institutions is essential to drive our business forward. Establishing a local office in the US was a crucial step to deepen these connections and expand our business.
What factors influenced your decision to choose Seattle?
Takuma:
When considering potential locations, three key regions stood out: Seattle, California, and Boston—all hubs for fusion-related companies.
Among them, Seattle offered significant geographical advantages. It is home to several fusion startups and provides easy access to Canadian companies and research institutions like the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), which made Seattle the ideal choice.
Temma:
Another factor was the presence of “The CleanTech Alliance,” an industry organization supporting the growth of environmental technology. The Alliance supported us in setting up our new office with information on health insurance and retirement plans. Additionally, the state of Washington is leading the way in fusion energy legislation—recognizing it as a clean energy source—which further supports research and business development for fusion startups like us.
What challenges have you encountered while building the organization?
Takuma:
Establishing an entity requires an in-depth understanding of local laws and regulations. Laws vary by state in the US, which added another layer of complexity. We needed to figure out how to navigate these regulations and found local experts to assist us—an essential but challenging task.
Temma:
Since KFA members live in multiple states, we developed “Employee Handbooks” that were tailored to each state’s regulations. As an example, California has unique rules regarding harassment prevention and employee leave policies so we needed to adapt our internal guidelines accordingly.
Takuma:
While managing these differences is challenging, our goal remains the same: create a comfortable and supportive work environment. By collaborating with local specialists and using cloud-based systems for accounting and HR management, we’ve been able to efficiently build a solid operational foundation.
How would you describe the work environment at KFA?
Temma:
Our Seattle-based members work together at the office once a week so we can easily communicate with each other.
For those living in other states, we connect regularly online and we also prioritize in-person opportunities whenever possible. During our onsite “Culture Day” event last September, we held in-depth discussions on our company credos, organized team-building excursions, and hosted social events.
When colleagues from other offices visit the US, we organise lunches, dinners, and other social gatherings to strengthen our bonds. We plan to continue these initiatives and create more opportunities for face-to-face interactions in the future.
What key lessons have you gained from this experience?
Takuma:
Establishing the KFA branch significantly broadened our perspective on setting up and running global operations.
Since KFA’s start, we have also established Kyoto Fusioneering Europe GmbH in Germany and launched Fusion Fuel Cycles Inc., a joint venture with CNL to accelerate the R&D for fusion fuel cycle systems. The insights gained from setting up KFA have been invaluable for these expansions.
From a business standpoint, our physical presence in the US gives us more accurate insights into the investment landscape and market dynamics. As the Vice President of Finance and Governance, I can now communicate our market positioning and strengths to both domestic investors in Japan and international investors around the world with greater clarity.
What is the status of KFA, and what are the future prospects for the organization?
Temma:
Currently, KFA is focused on growing our US operations. We’re working on fulfilling an order we received in late 2023 for two sets of gyrotron systems from General Atomics, which operates the DIII-D National Fusion Facility under the US Department of Energy (DOE). We are currently conducting performance tests in preparation for delivery.
We are also collaborating with US national laboratories under the DOE’s Innovation Network for Fusion Energy (INFUSE) program and engaging with investors to drive future growth. We will continue to leverage our local presence in the US to strengthen relationships with customers, research institutions, and investors.
We also actively participate in key industry events. Recently, our CEO, Satoshi Konishi, and KFA Head, Bibake Uppal, attended the Fusion Industry Association (FIA) Annual Policy Conference and “Fusion Nexus: Advancing Japan-US Partnership“, which was co-hosted by FIA and the Japan Fusion Energy Council (J-Fusion).
Additionally, KFA plays a prominent role in “Seattle Fusion Week,” organized by the CleanTech Alliance. We deliver presentations, showcase our work through exhibition booths, and engage with other leading fusion energy companies and research institutions.
These events provide invaluable opportunities to share our vision and build new partnerships. Moving forward, we will continue to expand our network and strengthen our presence in the US market.
Thank you for sharing your insights!
Establishing our US base marked a major milestone in our journey as a global company, and there is still so much more to do! We’re working on expanding our business, strengthening our organizational framework, and accelerating the pace of fusion energy development.
We will keep sharing KFA’s progress through blogs and employee interviews in our series “Behind the Fusion Scene”—so stay tuned and continue to follow us on this exciting journey!
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