Astral Systems, a Bristol-based DeepTech firm pioneering multistate fusion (MSF) technology, has closed over €5.3 million investment to deliver their fusion reactors to customers by the end of 2025.
The funding was led by Speedinvest and Playfair, with the participation of angel investors including Oliver Buck, Founder of ITM Isotope Technologies, and former ARM President of Product Group, Pete Hutton.
“In a short time we have gone from NASA-backed fusion theories and scientific research to commercially-viable reactors delivering unprecedented fusion performance,” said Talmon Firestone, CEO and Co-founder of Astral Systems. “This financing supports our next stage of growth, helping us to scale our sophisticated, compact reactors and increase production of disease-fighting medical isotopes that are critical in the fight against cancer.”
Founded in 2021 by Talmon Firestone and Dr Tom Wallace-Smith, Astral Systems focused on commercialising multi-state fusion technology, a new type of nuclear fusion with “unprecedented performance“.
According to Astral Systems they are the first to develop and commercialise MSF technology, reportedly achieving notable performance in its compact reactors with greater efficiency and lower cost than traditional reactors.
Its fusion breakthroughs, backed by NASA research, means Astral’s MSF technology can deliver immediate real-world solutions – including “saving cancer patients’ lives” – as well as future applications, such as hybrid nuclear energy, space exploration, and industrial and security industry applications.
Rick Hao, partner at Speedinvest added, “Astral Systems represents the best of UK deeptech. Astral Systems is delivering a fresh approach to nuclear fusion that addresses urgent medical, industrial and power needs. We’re excited to support Talmon, Tom and the team as they scale its multi-state fusion technology to deliver meaningful, lasting impact.”
Astral Systems has also recently established three commercial fusion facilities and generated more than €2.3 million in revenue via research contracts that utilise their MSF technology.
The company is now focused on solving the growing crisis surrounding the international medical isotope shortage, which is impacting cancer diagnosis and treatments. Astral’s compact reactors are poised to produce enough neutrons to offer an evergreen supply of isotopes, curtailing global manufacturing shortages.
Astral System’s multistate fusion is enhanced by lattice confinement fusion (LCF), a concept experimentally demonstrated by NASA in 2018 and published in 2020. LCF achieves solid-state fuel densities 400 million times higher than those achievable in the plasma.
“We are the first to commercialise fusion in the lattice at these levels – marking a new era in nuclear technology,” added Dr Tom Wallace-Smith. “Physics phenomena are rarely singular in their application, and fusion has long been isolated to the long play of magnetic confinement breakeven power. Our commercially available technology allows fusion to go beyond this and open up many other markets with immediate societal benefits.”
