en.Wedoany.com Reported - Wedoany.com, April 8th - Avalanche Energy, a fusion energy startup focused on developing modular compact fusion devices, announced it has been awarded a $5.2 million contract from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) under the "Rads to Watts" program. This contract will fund the development of next-generation compact, highly reliable nuclear battery technology over a 30-month period, advancing the company's goal of commercializing practical, portable fusion energy.
DARPA's "Rads to Watts" program aims to deploy compact, long-life nuclear power systems for defense and space missions, addressing scenarios where traditional energy sources are not viable. Under the contract, Avalanche will develop solid-state micromachined batteries that convert alpha particles generated by radioisotopes into electricity, similar to how solar cells convert photons. The battery design aims to directly convert the kinetic energy of alpha particles into electrical energy, targeting a power output exceeding 10 watts per kilogram. This would enable laptop-sized systems to operate continuously for several months, weighing only a few kilograms, while maintaining performance in harsh space radiation environments. The company will use particle accelerators and active radioisotopes to verify device operational stability.
This project is a strategic step for Avalanche towards direct fusion energy conversion. Although the development device uses radioisotopes, the fundamental physics principles are related to the company's long-term fusion roadmap, which focuses on efficiently converting high-energy charged particles into electricity. The project will develop degradation-resistant microstructures initially for alpha particles from radioisotopes, ultimately supporting energy conversion from the same particles generated by fusion devices.
Robin Langtry, Co-founder and CEO of Avalanche Energy, stated that this contract is a critical milestone on the path to practical fusion energy. The direct energy conversion technology being developed is essential for efficiently extracting energy from fusion reactions. The capabilities built will provide reliable, portable power for defense, aerospace, and commercial applications.
DARPA's funding will advance energy conversion technologies directly applicable to fusion energy, accelerating the demand for high-power radioisotopes. Fusion devices that generate high-energy alpha particles also produce high-energy neutrons, which can efficiently generate the radioisotopes required for the "Rads to Watts" program, creating a virtuous cycle of supply and a technological flywheel.
Avalanche will lead a multi-institutional team including the University of Utah, California Institute of Technology, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), and McQuaide Microsystems. Together, they will develop near-term usable power supply technologies, advancing the long-term goal of manufacturing compact, manufacturable fusion systems.
The Rads to Watts contract is the latest indication of support for Avalanche's modular fusion technology approach. In early February 2026, the company announced the completion of a $29 million funding round and also secured a $1.25 million contract from the U.S. Air Force innovation organization AFWERX for the rapid development of advanced materials suitable for extreme environments.
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