Zap Energy

Zap Energy is an integrated nuclear energy company headquartered in Everett, WA, pioneering the commercialization of fusion through its sheared-flow stabilized (SFS) Z-pinch technology. Unlike tokamaks, stellarators, or laser-driven approaches, Zap's Z-pinch achieves plasma confinement through current-driven compression - eliminating the need for complex superconducting magnet systems or high-power laser arrays. This results in a dramatically simpler, more compact reactor footprint. The company's flagship experimental devices, FuZE-3 and the next-generation FuZE-A, have achieved significant plasma performance milestones, including electron pressures exceeding gigapascal levels. Zap is also a participant in the U.S. Department of Energy's Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program, and in May 2026 received DOE approval for its preconceptual fusion pilot plant design - a facility targeting approximately 50 MW of net electrical output per module.

In a strategic evolution announced in 2025-2026, Zap expanded beyond pure fusion to become an integrated nuclear platform spanning both advanced fission and fusion technologies. The company identified deep technology overlaps between fission and fusion - including liquid-metal systems, high-temperature materials, nuclear-grade manufacturing, additive manufacturing, and modular balance-of-plant engineering - and is now building a unified platform to accelerate commercialization of both. Zap is advancing a modular fission system for near-term deployment in grid-connected, distributed energy, and industrial applications, while simultaneously progressing toward a fusion pilot plant later this decade.

Zap Energy is highly significant to the US energy supply chain as one of the most technically credible and well-funded private fusion companies in the world. With $327M raised, DOE program participation, and a novel approach that avoids the billion-dollar magnet and laser infrastructure required by competing fusion concepts, Zap represents a potentially transformative path to on-demand, carbon-free baseload power. Its integrated fission-fusion strategy also positions it to contribute to near-term US nuclear energy deployment, supporting grid reliability, energy security, and decarbonization goals simultaneously.