Who we are

We are First Light Fusion, the UK’s only inertial fusion company. We focus on enabling the commercialisation of fusion energy, the last clean energy source the world needs. 
 
Our mission is to make fusion energy possible. We use advanced simulations, AI technology and machine learning to develop technology that will power the affordable fusion power plants of the future.
 
We are a team of 100 leaders, scientists, physicists and engineers developing a path to fusion energy capable of transforming the world’s energy system. Our journey started as a University of Oxford spin-out in 2011, but we have evolved into a commercially focused fusion organisation.

What we do

We research energy generation through inertial fusion. We continually refine and develop our amplifier technology, which will help make commercial fusion energy a reality. This technology will be a key part of the world’s first inertial fusion power plants. It will support a cheaper, simpler, and faster pathway to commercial fusion energy. We use AI to continually predict the performance of our amplifiers in order to continually refine and improve their design.
 
Our amplifier technology is the critical element to commercialising inertial fusion and can be leveraged for all forms of inertial fusion approaches. Partnering with leading fusion companies and Governments around the world, our proven amplifier technology will enable them to deliver their mission of achieving commercial fusion. Our focus is on exploring the potential of our amplifier technology and ensuring its compatibility across different fusion approaches.
 
First Light’s amplifier technology has demonstrated fusion energy across multiple platforms. In November 2021, we showed our first fusion result using our technology, which was validated by the UK Atomic Energy Authority. We achieved fusion having spent less than £45 million, and with a rate of performance improvement faster than any other fusion scheme in history.

Why we do it

In recent years, developments in fusion energy across the world have been advancing at rapid pace. The progress made by fusion energy companies in the last ten years has brought us closer to making commercial fusion a reality.
 
We cannot meet global net zero goals or rising energy demand without commercial fusion. If the world is to fully pivot away from hydrocarbons towards renewable energy sources, fusion energy is an essential part of the future clean energy mix that will power our industry and society.
 
At First Light Fusion, we help other leading fusion companies and governments around the world reach their ambition of achieving commercial fusion. We also support other research organisations and R&D companies. Our amplifier technology and expertise in high-energy density physics can complement and enhance capabilities in other sectors from space to defence and materials.

How we came about

The idea for First Light Fusion first came about thanks to inspiration from an unlikely source – the pistol shrimp.  While studying for his DPhil at the University of Oxford, our founder Nick Hawker became interested in the energy released by bubbles which form and collapse when the pistol shrimp snaps its oversized claw The question on Nick’s mind was whether this natural process produced enough energy to help unlock the potential of fusion.

“A big part of my PhD was studying that process of cavity collapse with fusion in mind. I wondered whether it could be applied to generate power. The answer was ‘probably not’, but it did help us to set up simulations to see how the principle could be adapted for use in fusion.” – Dr Nick Hawker

“Its huge claw makes a shockwave which stuns its prey, and it also produces bubbles. As the shockwave passes over the bubbles, it makes them collapse. When they collapse, you get these bright flashes of light. It’s called shrimpoluminescence.” – Dr Nick Hawker

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