# Realta Fusion

> Realta Fusion is a Madison, Wisconsin, company developing compact, modular magnetic-mirror fusion systems for industrial heat and power. Spun out of a University of Wisconsin-Madison experiment, it is using high-temperature superconducting magnets, radio-frequency plasma heating, neutral beams and simulation to revisit a linear reactor geometry that largely lost U.S. funding in the 1980s. Its near-term roadmap runs from the WHAM research device to commercial-scale prototypes and, ultimately, CoSMo fusion plants aimed at data centers and hard-to-decarbonize industries.

- **Founded:** 2022
- **Headquarters:** Madison, Wisconsin, United States
- **Founders:** Kieran Furlong (CEO & Co-Founder), Cary Forest (Founding Chief Scientist), Jay Anderson (Co-Founder, Plasma Heating & Stability), Ben Lindley (Co-Founder, Blanket Design), Oliver Schmitz (Co-Founder, Plasma-Facing Components)
- **Team size:** Approximately 62-64 employees in 2026, based on LinkedIn and supplied company data.
- **Products:** CoSMo fusion energy systems, WHAM, RealTwin, Anvil, Hammir / Hammir-DT
- **Notable:** Spun out of the UW-Madison WHAM project in 2022., Selected for the DOE Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program in 2023., WHAM produced first plasma in 2024 at 17 tesla, described by the project as a record magnetic field for a magnetic-confinement plasma experiment.

## Products & services

- **CoSMo fusion energy systems** — The planned family of compact, scalable and modular magnetic-mirror systems for industrial heat and power.
- **WHAM** — The Wisconsin HTS Axisymmetric Mirror research machine operated with UW-Madison; it is the experimental foundation for Realta's roadmap, not a commercial product.
- **RealTwin** — A digital-twin and high-performance-computing toolset that adapts established plasma codes to axisymmetric magnetic-mirror designs.
- **Anvil** — A planned commercial-scale simple-mirror prototype intended to validate the engineering basis for larger systems.
- **Hammir / Hammir-DT** — A planned tandem-mirror fusion machine and preconceptual pilot-plant design for deuterium-tritium operation, targeted for development at The Realta Forge.
- **Direct energy conversion** — A developing system for recovering some kinetic energy from charged particles leaving a magnetic mirror as electricity; a WHAM prototype produced multiple amps at roughly 100 volts in 2026.

## Achievements

- Spun out of the UW-Madison WHAM project in 2022.
- Selected for the DOE Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program in 2023.
- WHAM produced first plasma in 2024 at 17 tesla, described by the project as a record magnetic field for a magnetic-confinement plasma experiment.
- Completed a DOE-recognized whole-device modeling milestone supporting a projected scientific energy gain of at least five.
- Closed a $36 million Series A led by Future Ventures in May 2025.
- Demonstrated direct conversion of plasma kinetic energy into electricity on WHAM in June 2026; the test was not net-electricity or large-scale fusion-power production.
- Selected as a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer in 2026.
- Selected Madison's former Oscar Mayer site for The Realta Forge, backed by state and city incentives valued at up to $55 million.

## Latest updates

- **2026-02** — Raised $9.5 million in debt financing reported as a Silicon Valley Bank line of credit.
- **2026-03** — Formed a strategic partnership with Kyoto Fusioneering and purchased gyrotrons for plasma heating.
- **2026-04** — Expanded its relationship with Commonwealth Fusion Systems into a long-term magnet design and manufacturing agreement.
- **2026-04** — DOE approved the preconceptual Hammir-DT design as part of Realta's milestone-program work.
- **2026-06** — Joined the World Economic Forum's 2026 Technology Pioneers cohort.
- **2026-06** — Demonstrated a single-stage direct energy converter on WHAM, drawing multiple amps at around 100 volts from plasma kinetic energy.
- **2026-07** — Selected OM Station, Madison's former Oscar Mayer plant, for The Realta Forge and said it expected to break ground before year-end.

## Links

- Website: https://realtafusion.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/realta-fusion
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/RealtaFusion
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RealtaFusion

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/realta-fusion
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-18