Bilateral agreement will strengthen fusion industry ties between Japan and the U.S. and support joint development of plasma heating systems for magnetic mirror fusion machines, mirror-based neutron sources, and blanket and fuel cycle technology
Kyoto Fusioneering (KF) and Realta Fusion today announced a bilateral strategic partnership designed to accelerate the global commercialization of fusion energy. Building upon decades of successful nation-to-nation collaboration in the public sector, this agreement capitalizes on the deep synergies between the advanced fusion ecosystems of Japan and the United States to drive unprecedented industrial momentum.
The agreement outlines several areas of joint technological development that build on the strengths of both companies. KF, a world leader in fusion engineering and integrated systems, will bring its deep expertise to the design, engineering, and fabrication of plasma heating systems optimized for use in Realta’s magnetic mirror fusion machines. KF and Realta will also explore the design and deployment of mirror-based neutron sources that can be used to qualify materials and decisively de-risk the development of tritium blanket breeding and fuel cycle systems.
In the first phase of this partnership, KF has supplied gyrotrons — the high-powered microwaves that help heat fusion plasmas to many times the temperature of the sun — to Realta. These gyrotrons will be installed on Realta’s first commercial-grade fusion machine, which will be located in their planned research and development facility known as The Realta Forge.
The collaboration between KF and Realta extends far beyond fusion hardware development. The companies will pursue joint engagement of their respective government stakeholders, industry associations, and standards bodies, while coordinating supply chain partnerships for components, materials, and subsystems.
“This alliance represents a powerful convergence of American ingenuity in plasma physics and Japanese excellence in precision manufacturing and integrated fusion systems,” said Kiyoshi Seko, KF’s President and COO. “By linking our respective industrial bases, we are not just advancing magnetic mirror technology; we are forging the resilient, cross-border supply chains required to make commercial fusion a reality.”
About Realta Fusion
Realta Fusion spun out of a large fusion experiment at the University of Wisconsin-Madison funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency — Energy. The experiment was the first to use high temperature superconducting magnets in a magnetic mirror configuration and confined its first plasma at a world-record breaking magnetic field strength of 17 Tesla. Realta Fusion recently announced a $36 million Series A funding round led by new investor Future Ventures, with further support from existing investor Khosla Ventures, who led Realta Fusion’s seed round in 2023.
