Thorizon raises €20 million for advanced salt reactor
Deep tech startup Thorizon is developing an advanced small, modular salt reactor, the 'Thorizon One'.
Published on March 12, 2025
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The Dutch-French start-up Thorizon has raised €20 million to develop their groundbreaking small modular reactor, Thorizon One. With support from Invest-NL and the Province of North Brabant, among others, the total funding comes to €42.5 million. Thorizon One promises to deliver CO2-free energy by using long-lived nuclear waste as fuel. With a planned start of construction in 2030, the startup aims to revolutionize the energy market by making nuclear energy cleaner and safer.
The investment marks a crucial moment for the further development of this promising project while strengthening Europe's energy security and nuclear innovation. The project also has strong industrial partnerships and ambitious plans for the future of CO2-free industrial heat and electricity generation.
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Technological innovation
The Thorizon One reactor represents a significant breakthrough in nuclear technology. The system is designed to generate 250 MWt of industrial heat or 100 MWe of electricity.
The innovative aspect lies in the use of molten salt reactor technology (MSR) and the possibility of using long-lived nuclear waste as fuel. The reactor has been developed with a 'walk-away safe' design, which means that safety is inherent to the design. The team is currently working on prototyping and demonstrating the cartridge fuel system, a crucial part of Thorizon One.
Financing and strategic partners
The new financing round consists of €16 million as the first tranche of the Series A round, led by the Dutch investment institution Invest-NL with support from InvestEU of the European Commission. In addition, the company received a €4 million grant from the Province of North Brabant, in collaboration with VDL Groep and Demcon. Thorizon's total funding now amounts to €42.5 million, including a previously received grant of €10 million from the France 2030 Innovative Reactor Program. The company, founded in 2018 by Lucas Pool and Sander de Groot as a spin-off of the Dutch nuclear research institute NRG, has since built up an impressive team of 50 engineers with offices in Amsterdam and Lyon.
Timeline
Thorizon's schedule is ambitious but concrete. The company aims to start construction in 2030, with an intended commissioning in 2032. Currently, the Dutch and French nuclear safety authorities (ANVS and ASN) are conducting preparatory assessments of the Thorizon design, with pre-license applications planned for 2025. CEO Kiki Lauwers emphasizes the company's mission: “Our mission is to stimulate nuclear innovation in Europe — to improve energy security while reducing carbon emissions and burning long-lived nuclear waste.” In the coming years, the focus will be on refining the basic design and completing the approval process.