Stellaria, a French company co-founded by CEA and Schneider Electric, has raised €23 million to develop its fast-neutron molten-salt nuclear reactor by 2035. The funding round was co-led by At One Ventures and Supernova Invest, alongside Stellaria’s existing investors, including CEA Investissements and Schneider Electric.
Additionally, Stellaria secured €10 million in non-dilutive financing through the France 2030 ‘Innovative Reactors’ initiative. This funding will support the technical and regulatory studies for its molten salt facility, set to begin operating in 2029.
Founded in 2023, Stellaria is developing the Stellarium, a fourth-generation reactor that can regenerate its fuel during operation, making it self-sufficient for over 20 years while reducing the production of long-lived nuclear waste. The first commercial unit is expected by 2035, with a plan to cut CO2 emissions from industrial sites by 99%.
With this investment, Stellaria aims to double its workforce to accelerate R&D and finalize one of the world’s first liquid-core fast neutron reactor demonstrators. This will also facilitate the establishment of a research laboratory in Grenoble and support the application for safety approvals for the construction of its prototype.
KEY QUOTE:
“This funding round demonstrates the confidence of investors in the technical maturity of our molten-salt reactor, which opens up a new path towards the circular economy of the fuel cycle. We are laying the foundations for a model in which electro-intensive industries become self-sufficient in energy throughout the lifetime of their facilities. This is a key step towards the sustainable reindustrialisation of our territory.”
Nicolas Breyton, CEO of Stellaria
