Sam Altman-backed fusion startup Helion in talks with OpenAI | TechCrunch

Fusion startup Helion is reportedly in talks to sell power to OpenAI. Both companies are backed by Sam Altman. The deal, which was reported by Axios, is in early stages, and it could guarantee OpenAI 12.5% of Helion’s production — five gigawatts by 2030 and 50 gigawatts by 2035. OpenAI partner Microsoft signed a similar deal with Helion in 2023 to buy power starting in 2028. If the figures in Axios’s report prove to be accurate, it suggests that Helion expects to be able to rapidly scale production of its fusion power plant. Helion has said that each of its reactors will generate 50 megawatts of electricity, meaning it will need to build and install 800 reactors by 2030 and an additional 7,200 by 2035.  The company did not immediately reply to inquiries from TechCrunch. Helion is racing to build its first commercial-scale reactor by that time. If the startup is successful, it would place it years ahead of the competition, which is mostly targeting early 2030s for commercial operations.  The startup raised $425 million last year from investors including Altman as well as firms Mitril, Lightspeed, and Softbank. Most fusion startups are pursuing one of two approaches, harvesting heat from the fusion reactions and using a steam turbine to turn it into electricity. Helion is taking a different tack, developing a reactor design that would use magnets to convert fusion energy into electricity. Techcrunch event Disrupt 2026: The tech ecosystem, all in one room Your next round. You...