LLNL partners with Inertia to develop fusion energy technology. Integrated private sector-led collaboration is unique in history of LLNL and U.S. DOE's national lab system. 15 April 2026 The achievement of fusion ignition at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)'s National Ignition Facility (NIF) in December 2022 was the culmination of more than 60 years of research and development in laser-driven inertial confinement fusion at LLNL. Image: LLNL. Scientists from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) are partnering with San Francisco Bay Area fusion energy startup Inertia Enterprises Inc. with the aim of advancing fusion laser technology, as well as inertial fusion target manufacturing and designs.# The collaboration is described by the partners as "an expansive and integrated private sector-led partnership, unique in the history of LLNL and the DOE national laboratory system." Kim Budil, director of LLNL, commented, "We are committed to ensuring that the 60 years of public investment, fusion leadership, and scientific breakthroughs achieved here don't stay in the laboratory. This partnership positions LLNL's expertise in inertial fusion science, laser technology, physics design and target fabrication to directly inform the industrial-scale development that commercial fusion demands." Jean Paul Allain, director of the DOE Office of Fusion, added, "Fusion is one of the greatest scientific and technological challenges of our time, and it is one we simply cannot afford to lose. What makes this moment different is that we are no longer pursuing it in isolation. We are bringing together the full strength of our national labs, private industry and the broader innovation ecosystems to move from breakthrough to deployment." Jeff Lawson, CEO and co-founder of Inertia, said, "Decades of public investment in fusion science have created a foundation that only America's national labs could have built. Inertia exists to take that foundation and do what the private sector does best: build at scale and deliver commercial impact." This new collaboration consists of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement focused on laser development, as well as two Strategic Partnership Projects (SPP). One SPP advances fusion target design, while the other explores target-fabrication technologies. LLNL's engagement in this partnership is managed by the Livermore Institute of Fusion Technology (LIFT), a newly established institute designed to strike breakthrough partnerships with the growing fusion energy industry, in collaboration with the Lab's Innovation and Partnerships Office, which facilitated the CRADA. "This expansive partnership will apply the lessons of achieving fusion ignition at LLNL's National Ignition Facility toward making fusion energy a reality," said Tammy Ma, director of LIFT at LLNL. "We are excited to break new ground with Inertia as we continue establishing public-private partnerships that move fusion forward." LIFT is well placed to help bridge the gap between research and future commercial fusion power by building collaborative frameworks supporting both startups and established companies with resources, expertise, and facilities to identify and tackle key scientific hurdles, while leaning on LLNL's historical expertise to support the development of infrastructure, supply chain and talent. Looking ahead, LIFT intends to build on this partnership to establish new mechanisms for collaboration with private industry and advance foundational capabilities for fusion energy.

The week's 10 biggest funding rounds: Anthropic leads in A big week for giant rounds. February 13, 2026 Want to keep track of the largest startup funding deals in 2025 with our curated list of $100 million-plus venture deals to U.S.-based companies? Check out The Crunchbase Megadeals Board. This is a weekly feature that runs down the week's top 10 announced funding rounds in the U.S. Check out last week's biggest funding deal roundup here. This week featured a lot of funding deals with a lot of zeroes on the end. Generative AI powerhouse Anthropic, of course, boasted the most zeroes with its $30 billion Series G, the second-largest venture funding round of all time. Other big fundraisers included robotics startup Apptronik, fusion innovator Inertia Enterprises, and space tech unicorn Axiom Space. 1. Anthropic, $30B, Generative AI: Anthropic raised $30 billion in a massive Series G funding round that values the San Francisco-based generative AI company at $380 billion post-money. The financing marks the largest venture funding deal of 2026 so far and the second-largest of all time, per Crunchbase data. GIC and Coatue led the raise, which was also "co-led" by D.E. Shaw & Co. Ventures, Dragoneer Investment Group, Founders Fund, Iconiq Capital and MGX, according to the company. 2. Apptronik, $520M, humanoid robots: AI-powered robotics company Apptronik added $520 million in new financing in an extension of its $415 million Series A raise in February 2025, The investment brings the total round to over $935 million for the Austin-based company. 3. Inertia Enterprises, $450M, fusion energy: Livermore, California-based fusion power startup Inertia Enterprises announced that it secured $450 million in Series A funding. Bessemer Venture Partners led the round for the 2-year-old company, joined by Google Ventures, Threshold and other backers. 4. Axiom Space, $350M, space tech: Axiom Space, a startup that is building a successor to the International Space Station and developing spacesuits for a moon mission, closed on $350 million in new financing. Type One Ventures and Qatar Investment Authority led the round for the Houston-based company. 5. Runway, $315M, AI: Runway, an AI research and technology startup, picked up $315 million in a Series E round. General Atlantic led the financing, which set a $5.3 billion valuation for the New York-based company, up from $3.3 billion last April. 6. Talkiatry, $210M, mental health: Talkiatry, a provider of in-network psychiatry services to health systems and employers, picked up $210 million in Series D funding, led by Perceptive Advisors. The round brings total funding to date for the New York-based company to more than $400 million. 7. Solace Health, $130M, healthcare: Redwood City, California-based Solace Health, a digital platform that connects patients with expert healthcare advocates, raised $130 million in Series C funding. IVP led the financing, which set a valuation of over $1 billion for the 4-year-old company. 8. Garner Health, $118M, healthcare: Garner Health, a digital platform that helps patients find healthcare providers, raised $118 million in Series D financing. Kleiner Perkins led the round for the New York-based company. 9. (tied) Simile, $100M, AI simulation: Palo Alto, California-based Simile, a startup focused on applying AI to create simulated environments and simulation tools with AI agents, raised $100 million in Series A funding led by Index Ventures. 9. (tied) Loyal, $100M, dog longevity: Loyal, a startup focused on drugs to extend healthy lifespans in senior dogs, raised $100 million in Series C funding that it says will provide the capital required to move from late-stage development to market readiness. Venture fund Age1 led the financing for the 7-year-old, San Francisco-based company. Methodology. We tracked the largest announced rounds in the Crunchbase database that were raised by U.S.-based companies for the period of Feb. 7-13. Although most announced rounds are represented in the database, there could be a small time lag as some rounds are reported late in the week. Stay up to date with recent funding rounds, acquisitions, and more with the Crunchbase Daily. February 12, 2026 Generative AI company Anthropic announced Thursday that it raised $30 billion in a round that values it at $380 billion post-money. The financing... February 12, 2026 Startup investors are increasingly turning to nuclear fusion and fission startups to supply our power-hungry era, and they're not afraid to write big... February 12, 2026 Now that AI infrastructure is absorbing hundreds of billions in annual spend, writes guest author and strategic adviser Itay Sagie, investors are no... February 12, 2026 There's a a growing shift among high-growth startups of rewarding employees with liquidity long before an IPO is in sight. Crunchbase News recently... April 3, 2025 Discover and act on private market opportunities with predictive company intelligence.

Inertia, fusion power from mass-produced, low-cost lasers. Here you'll find information about their funding, investors and team.