Building the future of American power systems: from directed energy to compact fusion

Austin, TX
Joined April 2025
There is a future where trips to Mars take weeks not months. We are excited to be building this future at @stelliostech Compact fusion and next generation power systems are the key unlock. Thank you @etnshow for sharing our story! Great questions @lukeknight & @ronanchamberss
Stellios Founder and CEO Richard Starson told us that fusion-powered space travel is closer than people think, and that trips to Mars could end up taking weeks not months: "I think that today fusion is in a similar time as AI was in 2017โ€“2018, when transformers were invented but ChatGPT did not appear yet. The building blocks of compact fusion are already there." "There are multiple companies that will get to fusion. Most of them are focused on electricity generation. We believe we have a design that can make fusion energy not just functional, but also compact and lightweight.โ€ "Once you've got fusion-powered engines, you can get from here to Mars in weeks instead of months."
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Flight 15 will be a huge step for America and humanity: @spacex is completing the path to Full Reusability โœ…
Full duration 33-engine static fire for the Super Heavy booster preparing for Flight 15
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Thank you @tbpn @jordihays @johncoogan for hosting and for sharing @stelliostech story! Thanks @SamPearton @_bart_m @zackbiaofficial for the intros! And huge thank you to everyone supporting our efforts @jamiegull @CubitCapital @atomsandbitsxyz @MorganSchwanke @shervin and so many others!
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Stellios Technologies retweeted
Congrats to @DrStarson and team at Stellios for coming out of stealth. Impressive early traction and the right founder to build these power systems.
Stellios Technologies, an Austin, Texas-based startup developing high-power microwave systems for counter-drone defense and industrial applications, emerged from stealth with an oversubscribed $5 million pre-seed funding round. Founded and led by CEO Dr. Richard Starson, who previously co-founded microwave-powered space launch company Escape Dynamics, Stellios had already secured $2 million in customer purchase orders before raising the round. The funding was backed by Sofreh Capital, Wave Function Ventures, Cubit Capital, Mana Ventures, Atoms & Bits, Output Capital, Erik Bruckner, and other strategic investors. The company plans to use the proceeds to deliver its first contracted microwave systems, establish U.S. research and pilot manufacturing facilities, expand its team and government business development, and advance its AI-native engineering platform and longer-term compact fusion research. FOUNDER: Dr. Richard Starson INVESTORS: Sofreh Capital, Wave Function Ventures, Cubit Capital, Mana Ventures, Atoms & Bits, Output Capital, Erik Bruckner ROUND: Pre-Seed AMOUNT: $5,000,000 HQ: Austin, Texas #VentureCapital #StelliosTechnologies #DrRichardStarson #SofrehCapital #TradedVC
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Stellios Technologies retweeted
Humanoid Robots Deployed in Agricultural Manufacturing Hard Tech Headlines: - @TheNuclearCo has announced the potential development of a large-scale nuclear campus in Kentucky that could house up to six Westinghouse AP1000 reactors, producing 6.6 GW of electricity. If fully constructed, the development would be the largest nuclear power campus in America. - Seaspan Vancouver Shipyards, one of Canadaโ€™s largest shipbuilders, has launched a corporate venture capital arm to invest in defense and maritime startups in the country. - The largest security robot fleet in the U.S. has reportedly been deployed in metro Atlanta, according to Undaunted. The robotic security startup says it has deployed 100+ security robots to patrol apartment complexes and commercial properties. - @WECNuclear is deploying $1B to construct Americaโ€™s most advanced nuclear fuel factory, which will produce low-enriched uranium plus (LEU+) fuel. - @agilityrobotics has secured a deal with AGCO, the major agricultural machinery manufacturer, to pilot humanoid robots at AGCO's Kansas production facility beginning in 2027. - @stelliostech has secured a $5M pre-seed round. The Austin, Texas-based startup is developing high-power energy systems for applications such as C-UAS, propulsion, and aneutronic fusion, securing $2M in customer orders thus far. - @LazarusEnergy, the LA startup, has successfully generated power using its supercritical COโ‚‚ turbine, which could eventually provide critical power for facilities such as data centers. - BAE Systems has successfully tested a modified logistics drone equipped with laser-guided rockets that intercepted multiple one-way attack drones during a U.S. military exercise. - Reliable Robotics Corporation has successfully conducted demonstration flights of a remotely piloted Cessna cargo aircraft in New Mexico. - NVIDIA introduces forward-deployable, containerized modular AI data centers. The company announced DSX POD, a factory-manufactured modular data center design intended to reduce deployment times from six months to as little as 14 days at prepared sites. The systems feature pre-integrated computing, networking, cabling, and liquid cooling. - Hewlett Packard Enterprise has announced plans to deploy its HPE Spaceborne Computer-4 to the Moon to conduct lunar computing operations. - Bison Ventures has secured $160M for its second fund. The San Francisco-based venture capital firm invests in pre-seed to Series B startups across sectors including energy, biology, manufacturing, and food technology. - @anatar demonstrated its automated T-shirt production line at the Manufacturing Solutions Center II in Conover, North Carolina, marking its first public demonstration. - @NatilusAero secured a $3.5M U.S. Air Force award focused on further developing its regional freighter for contested logistics missions, with a payload capacity of nearly 8,000 pounds and a range of 800 nautical miles.
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Thank you @erik_stiebel for covering @stelliostech launch! Erik's newsletter is a gold standard in LA deep tech news. A must follow for investors and founders at the forefront of American reindustrialization. ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿฆพ๐Ÿš€ spacedirt.beehiiv.com/p/octoโ€ฆ
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Stellios Technologies retweeted
Stellios Technologies, an Austin, Texas-based startup developing high-power microwave systems for counter-drone defense and industrial applications, emerged from stealth with an oversubscribed $5 million pre-seed funding round. Founded and led by CEO Dr. Richard Starson, who previously co-founded microwave-powered space launch company Escape Dynamics, Stellios had already secured $2 million in customer purchase orders before raising the round. The funding was backed by Sofreh Capital, Wave Function Ventures, Cubit Capital, Mana Ventures, Atoms & Bits, Output Capital, Erik Bruckner, and other strategic investors. The company plans to use the proceeds to deliver its first contracted microwave systems, establish U.S. research and pilot manufacturing facilities, expand its team and government business development, and advance its AI-native engineering platform and longer-term compact fusion research. FOUNDER: Dr. Richard Starson INVESTORS: Sofreh Capital, Wave Function Ventures, Cubit Capital, Mana Ventures, Atoms & Bits, Output Capital, Erik Bruckner ROUND: Pre-Seed AMOUNT: $5,000,000 HQ: Austin, Texas #VentureCapital #StelliosTechnologies #DrRichardStarson #SofrehCapital #TradedVC
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Exciting new chapter: building the future of power systems, propulsion, and American defense & energy. At @stelliostech we're building next gen. power systems from directed energy for c-UAS to compact fusion for propulsion. Check out more below and follow the journey. ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿš€
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Stellios Technologies retweeted
Welcome @anthropicai as a Corporate Patron sponsor of the Blender Foundationโ€™s Development Fund! This support will be dedicated towards general Blender core development. More details at blender.org/press/anthropic-โ€ฆ #b3d #DevFund
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Stellios Technologies retweeted
If we united. Our potential as a species is limitless. This, is the Age of Beyond.
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Stellios Technologies retweeted
My first interview with @Shaunmmaguire, Partner @Sequoia. 0:30 How Elon works 8:11 Execution speed 15:40 The 15 levels of mathematicians 25:52 How Shaun assesses founders 29:31 Starting the next Bell Labs 32:43 Why it was so hard to invest in SpaceX in 2019 36:26 Working at Neros 42:36 What Elon looks for in capital partners 44:43 Why people underestimate Boring Company 51:37 Stepping into the fire 56:00 Playing CS:GO competitively 1:03:56 Dropping out of high school 1:07:20 Getting renamed in 7th grade 1:14:02 Lord of the flies 1:21:23 How people like Gwynne Shotwell work with Elon 1:25:07 Why Elon is one of the greatest capital allocators of all time 1:30:59 Underestimating Jensen Huang
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We are moving towards Matrix-level experience: moving between fully immersive digital worlds and physical world. @xai Grok, Sora, @RealityLabs and most notably @drfeifei @theworldlabs are building this insane future! Thx @sonyatweetybird & @Konstantine
Generate persistent 3D worlds from a single image, bigger and better than ever! Weโ€™re excited to share our latest results and invite you to try out our world generation model in a limited beta preview.
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As always brilliant pod from @sequoia @Konstantine and @sonyatweetybird World simulators will redefine the way we live: moving humanity towards the Matrix experience with us moving between immersive digital worlds and the physical world.
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I suspect we will soon see both @boringcompany tunneling robots and @Tesla @Tesla_Optimus on the Moon. With @elonmusk fully engaged, it may happen this decade!?
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A lot of debate lately about data centers in space. @Starcloud_Inc1 and @philipjohnston are not debating - they are launching data centers into orbit ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿš€๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ Here is to the builders of the future!
Iโ€™ve never heard a more beautiful call out: โ€œ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฐ๐—น๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฑ-๐Ÿญ ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ฑโ€ !!!!!! ๐Ÿš€๐Ÿš€๐Ÿš€๐Ÿš€๐Ÿš€๐Ÿš€ @Starcloud_Inc1, @ezrafeilden, @adioltean
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We are truly entering the new golden age of propulsion and American aerospace innovation ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿš€๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
A new propulsion sysytem that promises breakthrough space launch and hypersonic flight applications is making serious progress. The VDR engine from @VenusAerospace using RDRE technology is raising eyebrows. If you are into space and aviation this is something you definitely want to keep your eyes on. Stable hypersonic flight is a stepping stone to daily low earth orbit activities. venusaero.com/
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Tesla is a canvas for creativity. What school did they go to?! ๐Ÿฆซ @Tesla @teslaownersSV
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The era of commercial space stations is coming! ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿš€๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
The Haven-1 primary structure qualification article continues critical testing at our Mojave, CA, test site. Last year, in just six months, we built the qualification article, enabling early testing and validation of our design to ensure we are building a safe and low-cost next-generation station. Now, Haven-1โ€™s flight primary structure build is underway. Each milestone brings Haven-1 closer to orbit.
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