Powered 500 · 2026POWEREDS. 226 of 500
Kirtley signed the world's first commercial fusion power purchase agreement — committing to deliver 50 megawatts of fusion electricity to Microsoft by 2028 — while raising $600 million to back a helium-3 magneto-inertial approach that skips steam turbines entirely.
David Kirtley founded Helion Energy in 2013 and is its CEO, pursuing a magneto-inertial fusion approach with helium-3 fuel.
He has raised over $600 million from investors including Sam Altman, who serves as Executive Chairman, Reid Hoffman, and Mithril Capital. In 2023 Helion signed the first commercial fusion power purchase agreement with Microsoft, committing to deliver 50 megawatts of electricity by 2028. Kirtley previously worked at MSNW on advanced propulsion.
Interview · In Pipeline
Sponsored placement
An invitation, extended to Powered readers.
Drive the Continental GT S.
Request a test driveBentley T&Cs apply
