Fusion startup Helion is developing new semiconductors that could double output of its power plants

[Marlin]

Fusion startup Helion is developing new semiconductors that could double output of its power plants

https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/22/fusion-startup-helion-is-developing-new-semiconductors-that-could-double-output-of-its-power-plants/

[Core Content]

Fusion startup Helion received $175 million in federal funding from the Department of Commerce to develop advanced semiconductors. The award aims to establish domestic manufacturing capacity for specialized power electronics in Washington State and Vermont.

Reducing electrical losses in power conversion components can substantially increase the net electricity output of fusion systems. Helion relies on direct energy conversion to capture electricity from plasma reactions without steam turbines, making high-efficiency switches essential for commercial viability in competitive power markets.

Helion now has another $225 million to help speed development of its first fusion power plant, due to provide Microsoft with electricity in 2028.

Fusion startup Helion has been awarded $175 million in federal funding to research, develop, and manufacture advanced semiconductors and power electronics for its fusion power plants, the company announced on Thursday.

Currently, those devices lose about 5% to 10% of the electricity that flows through them. While those losses seem small, they can compound themselves in a complex system like Helion's.

Read the full article at TechCrunch:
https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/22/fusion-startup-helion-is-developing-new-semiconductors-that-could-double-output-of-its-power-plants/