ExoFusion, a clean energy company, has announced receiving financial support from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Fusion Innovative Research Engine (FIRE) program. The grant will fund studies on liquid metal wall technology for fusion generators.

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory will oversee the FIRE-funded research, with Michael Kotschenreuther, who serves as ExoFusion’s co-founder and chief science officer, directing one of the project’s key initiatives.

Founded in 2022, ExoFusion operates from dual headquarters in Bellevue, Washington, and Austin, Texas. The company describes itself as a specialized fusion enterprise that provides support services to the expanding fusion energy industry.

The company’s revenue streams include patent sales and licensing agreements, design assistance services such as simulations and testing for fusion technologies, innovation development, and consulting services focused on fusion energy commercialization.

The Pacific Northwest has emerged as a significant center for fusion technology development. This technology seeks to recreate the nuclear reactions that power celestial bodies like the sun and stars, generating clean energy here on Earth. Companies working in this field within the region include Avalanche, Zap Energy, Helion Energy, Kyoto Fusioneering, and Altrusion throughout Washington state, along with General Fusion located in British Columbia.

ExoFusion’s founding team features three fusion physics professors from the University of Texas. These include Kotschenreuther, Swadesh Mahajan who serves as senior scientific advisor, and David Hatch in the role of chief technologist. The company’s CEO, Romi Mahajan, is based in Bellevue and has previously held leadership positions at several startups. He is also the son of co-founder Swadesh Mahajan.

The startup has secured roughly $3 million in total grant funding from various government sources. These include awards from the Department of Energy’s Innovation Network for Fusion Energy (INFUSE) program and the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), with some funding being distributed over extended periods.

Prior to these government grants, ExoFusion had raised under $800,000 through a seed funding round from private investors.