Automated inspection checks each fuel pebble. Kairos Power is developing fluoride salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor technology that uses spherical fuel elements, commonly called pebbles. Before the pebbles enter testing platforms or are prepared for transport, the new automated line subjects them to a series of quality checks. The system measures each pebble's diameter, geometry, and density in real time to confirm it meets manufacturing specifications. High-precision lasers then scan the exterior surface at the micron level to assess its structural integrity. Automating these checks allows the company to process pebbles while collecting standardized measurements for individual records. The resulting data can help engineers identify manufacturing variations and improve subsequent production campaigns. Rather than relying solely on batch-level records, the system links inspection results to each pebble, providing more detailed information about the fuel elements entering tests. Laser codes create individual fuel records. After inspection, each pebble moves to an infrared laser engraving station. The system etches three redundant data matrix codes, similar to QR codes, into the graphite surface, with markings approximately half a millimeter deep, according to the company. Each code links the pebble to an individual record containing its dimensions, density measurements, production batch, and inspection status. Additional markings around the codes let optical systems identify different pebble types if a data matrix is damaged. That traceability could become increasingly important as Kairos Power expands its fuel development and testing activities. By linking physical fuel elements to manufacturing and inspection data, engineers can track individual pebbles through downstream handling and testing. The company also expects the markings to help distinguish different pebble types, improve fuel-consumption measurements, and strengthen material accountability during reactor operations. "By automating our quality control and laser-engraving processes in-house, we are building the foundational capabilities and traceability required to support our iterative approach to fuel development," said Kirby Boone, a senior engineer on Kairos Power's fuel team. Boone added that the system will generate data to inform future manufacturing and handling systems, from Hermes 2 to the company's planned commercial fleet. Supporting Hermes 2 and future fuel production. The automated line is currently processing pebbles for upcoming hardware demonstrations, with a near-term target of 70,000 inspected fuel elements for testing platforms that include the second ETU. The system is also intended to support Hermes 2, the company's planned demonstration plant in Oak Ridge. Kairos Power is developing the inspection infrastructure in-house so it can use lessons from each production campaign to refine manufacturing processes and prepare for larger-scale fuel production.

Kairos Power LLC, a nuclear-energy startup, lined up $643 million in private and government funding to support construction of its demonstration reactor in Tennessee.

Nuclear startup Kairos raises $643 million for Tennessee project. October 14, 2026 at 12:53 PM PDT Kairos Power LLC, a nuclear-energy startup, lined up $643 million in private and government funding to support construction of its demonstration reactor in Tennessee. The funding comprises $368 million from backers including Google Ventures and DCVC, as well as $275 million in financing from the US Energy Department, according to Kairos Chief Executive Officer Mike Laufer. The private investment includes $70 million from Samsung C&T Corp. through a partnership announced last month.