en.Wedoany.com Reported - South Korean nuclear fusion energy startup Eterna Fusion announced on July 6 that it has completed a seed funding round totaling 2.3 billion won. The investors in this round include K Company, BluePoint Partners, and Seoul National University Technology Holdings. The specific investment amounts and company valuation were not disclosed.
Nuclear fusion generates electricity by simulating the process that powers the sun. Due to its ability to provide large-scale, stable power supply without directly emitting carbon during operation, it is regarded as a key direction for the future energy sector. With rapidly growing electricity demand from AI data centers, semiconductor factories, and other facilities, the global fusion industry is accelerating its transition toward a competitive landscape led by private startups. The Ministry of Science and ICT of South Korea is also promoting policies to support the establishment of a fusion commercialization ecosystem led by private enterprises.
Eterna Fusion stated that the funds from this round will primarily be used for the concept demonstration and initial core technology validation of the "Tokamak Injection" technology. This technology, a plasma current drive scheme independently developed by the company, aims to continuously supply current to the plasma from an external power source, thereby overcoming the structural limitations of existing fusion power generation solutions in terms of continuous operation.
The company plans to apply this technology to spherical tokamak devices, which are more conducive to miniaturization, to develop a "Compact Modular Fusion Reactor" (COSMOS) capable of stable 24-hour operation, and to advance its commercialization strategy targeting the global market.
Eterna Fusion was founded by the former research team of the VEST laboratory at Seoul National University. Since 2011, the team has independently developed and operated "VEST," South Korea's only spherical tokamak-type fusion experimental device. Their on-site research and device operation experience are considered a key advantage for the company's technological foundation. Since 2024, the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Commercialization Agency for Science and Technology have provided focused support through the "Deep Tech Startup Activation Support Program."
Nam Min-ki, Senior Investment Manager at BluePoint Partners, which participated in this round, stated that fusion energy is a typical deep tech field and should be viewed from the perspective of long-term technological independence and energy security, rather than focusing solely on short-term market returns. He noted that the Eterna Fusion team, leveraging their experience with South Korea's only spherical tokamak experiment, is directly addressing the core challenge of continuous operation in commercial fusion power generation, which was a key reason for the investment decision.
Eterna Fusion CEO Kim Tae-kyung stated that the company will use this funding to demonstrate its core technology as early as possible, enhance its global competitiveness, and accelerate progress toward the goal of commercializing nuclear fusion energy by the 2030s.
