Issue #63: Supercharging Fusion

A massive funding round supercharges fusion energy’s potential to reshape the grid by the 2030s.

The race to secure a clean, virtually limitless energy source just got a powerful boost. Commonwealth Fusion Systems has secured a staggering $863 million, in a round supported by big names like Nvidia, Google, and Bill Gates. This latest raise brings the fusion company's total funding to nearly $3 billion as it strives to deliver electricity to the grid by the early 2030s. Commonwealth Fusion Systems is betting that its advanced magnetic confinement technology will pave the way for commercial fusion—a breakthrough often touted as the 'holy grail' of clean energy. Learn more about how they plan to do it.

Key Highlights:

• Commonwealth Fusion Systems raised $863 million in its latest funding round led by renowned investors including Nvidia, Google, and Bill Gates.

• The startup now boasts nearly $3 billion in total funding, making it one of the most well-financed players in the fusion energy space.

• Commonwealth’s power plant aims to deliver fusion electricity to the grid as early as the 2030s, targeting scalable clean energy.

• A key breakthrough in their approach is high-field magnets that confine plasma, creating the extreme conditions needed for nuclear fusion.

• Fusion energy promises near-zero carbon emissions, abundant fuel, and no long-lived radioactive waste, making it a potential gamechanger in the climate fight.

The influx of capital into Commonwealth Fusion Systems highlights the growing confidence in new energy technologies as the world battles to transition away from fossil fuels. While critics caution that scalable fusion power is still years away, this funding signals strong optimism from industry leaders who are eager to redefine what’s possible for the energy grid. As startups like Framer and Eyebot demonstrate innovation in their own spheres, the bets being made in sectors like energy suggest that the tech ecosystem is wagering big on solving humanity's most pressing challenges. Whether this is the beginning of a true fusion revolution remains to be seen—but it's certainly a step closer to that horizon.

Quick Bites Overview

Here are some interesting quick news items from the tech world:

Framer Hits $2B Valuation: No Code, Big Bucks

Framer, the no-code website builder taking the internet by storm, has secured a $2 billion valuation after snagging a cool $100 million in Series D funding. With over half a million monthly active users, it’s proving that simplicity meets scale—no coding required. The round was led by Meritech and Atomico, both long-time believers in Framer's vision. Will they revolutionize web design one drag-and-drop at a time? Seems likely. Learn more.

Lovable Steals Investor Hearts with $4B Valuation

Swedish startup Lovable is living up to its name. The vibe-coding company (yes, that's a thing now) has investors lining up with unsolicited offers, valuing the company north of $4 billion. What exactly is 'vibe coding'? It’s like coding, but cooler, according to developers chasing new ways to express creativity. With this kind of momentum, Lovable might just have us coding emotions someday. Learn more.

Eyebot Secures $20M to Revolutionize Vision Care

Need to renew your glasses prescription faster than you can say "optometrist"? Eyebot is on it. The startup just raised $20 million in Series A funding to expand its innovative 90-second prescription kiosks, designed to make vision care as quick and painless as a selfie. With this funding, you might see Eyebot popping up in a mall or pharmacy near you—pun intended. Learn more.

SRE.ai Snags $7.2M to Supercharge DevOps Automation

AI-powered DevOps is getting a boost thanks to SRE.ai, which just raised $7.2 million to automate workflows like continuous integration and testing. Helping enterprises simplify complex processes, this Y Combinator alum is making efficiency the name of the game. Expect things like CI/CD pipelines to start running smoother and smarter. The robots are here, and they’re on your team. Learn more.

Delphi + Pinecone: Mastering AI Data Overflow

Delphi, the AI 'Digital Minds' startup, was drowning in oceans of user data—until Pinecone stepped in. Now, with Pinecone’s database as the retrieval layer, Delphi is scaling effortlessly while building millions of intelligent, domain-focused AI assistants. It’s a match made in data heaven, paving the way for smarter problem-solving across industries. Let’s hear it for modern databases saving the day. Learn more.

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Fail Of The Day :(

Clean tech startups shelve $5B projects in Q2

Several clean tech manufacturing projects in the U.S. were abruptly canceled this quarter, totaling $5 billion in shelved investments. These cancellations reflect growing economic uncertainty and rising operational costs, which have impacted the broader manufacturing sector.

Key Points:

• Founded: Various startups and initiatives focused on renewable energy manufacturing.

• Investment impact: $5 billion worth of projects canceled in Q2 2025.

• Sector: Clean tech manufacturing primed for solar panels and EV batteries.

• Cause of failure: Economic pressures including inflation and supply chain bottlenecks.

• Industry ripple: A pause on projected job creation and scaling ambitions.

Lessons for Founders:

The clean tech manufacturing push faced not just operational hurdles but also macroeconomic headwinds—reminding startups to model realistic scenarios for cost sensitivity. Economic factors beyond innovation, such as fluctuating supply chain costs and geopolitical shifts, are essential to bake into strategic planning. Founders should remember that bulletproofing a venture’s resilience against external pressures can be the difference between scaling and stalling. You can learn more about the clean tech cancellations in this TechCrunch piece.