General
Fusion is developing a method of generating electricity from nuclear fusion.
This company’s plan is to build a full scale reactor achieving Net Gain (positive
power production) for $50M, in five years.
Chrysalix
take: Mike Brown
1.
What is the insight that led to Chrysalix investing?
General
Fusion is compelling because it represents an absolute game changer, with the
potential to demonstrate the wholly grail of clean energy production on a
modest budget in a reasonable timeframe. We did more due diligence on this than
any other investment and the technical path the company has set out has been expertly
validated at every stage. This is about the biggest risk/reward ratio ever seen
in the venture capital business. If GF succeeds in getting Net Gain when
forecast, the world will finally have a chance to see if the holy grail of
energy generation can be achieved. This would be a stunning outcome.
2.
What is the company’s biggest strength?
The
team’s unique combination of technical creativity and practical ingenuity. The
technology they have developed combines some 30-year old ideas about plasma
formation together with a brilliant mechanical engineering idea and up-to-date
off-the-shelf DSP components. It builds on the huge international investment in
scientific development in fusion over the last 50 years, hopefully giving it a practical
outlet in the engineering of a real power plant.
3.
What is the implication of this company being successful?
This
completely changes to world’s access to cheap, completely clean, inexhaustible
electricity. It means the end of electrical generation by coal, or nuclear
fission, and maybe ends any reasonable chance of success of the standard
“renewables”. If the electricity is generated at the forecast $.05/kWh, it
will mean methanol can be made cheaper than today’s price of gasoline, and
would be carbon-neutral, and would not require any new fuel infrastructure.
The impact on geo politics would be immense. If achieved in time, it would
possibly avert complete climate change catastrophe.
