JAWS Joins $50M Series B for Zeno Power’s Nuclear Battery Venture
Summary
Zeno plans to use the new funding to expand its team to over 100 employees and invest in manufacturing capabilities.The next frontiers of global influence the seabed, Arctic, and space will be shaped by those who can power them, co-founder and CEO Tyler Bernstein said on LinkedIn.With great power competition rising, the ocean floor, Arctic, and lunar surface are becoming the front lines of global security and economic progress but they remain energy deserts, Bernstein, an alumnus of Vanderbilt University, added. It successfully demonstrated a nuclear prototype at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to secure an initial Strontium-90 fuel supply from the U.S. Department of Energy. Zeno has won over $60 million in contracts from the Pentagon and Nasa to develop nuclear batteries for demanding maritime and space applications, such as seabed infrastructure, highly maneuverable satellites and lunar landers.Were proving that nuclear doesnt have to move slowly. In just a few years, weve moved from concept to hardware and in the coming years well build the capacity to produce dozens of systems per year to provide power where its needed most, said Bernstein.Lior Prosor, partner at Hanaco Ventures, said Zenos nuclear batteries will have an immediate impact in defense and space, and long-term potential to transform how energy is delivered in remote and distributed environments.Zeno also announced the appointment of Admiral (Retd.) John M. Richardson, a former chief of naval operations who once led the Navys nuclear fleet, to its board.