The Social Radars David Kirtley, Founder & CEO of Helion Energy
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Jan 7, 2026 
David Kirtley, Founder and CEO of Helion Energy, is pioneering a fusion power plant that could revolutionize clean energy. He explains the science behind fusion, including its dramatic temperature and pressure requirements, and why it's safer than fission. Kirtley shares his entrepreneurial journey, how modern tech accelerates fusion development, and the implications of successful large-scale deployment. He also reveals insights into fundraising strategies and balancing innovation with personal life, all while addressing the exciting future of fusion energy.
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Fusion Is Star Power Brought To Earth
- Fusion replicates the star process by fusing light isotopes to release vast energy via mass deficit (E=mc²).
- Helion aims to convert that energy into low-cost, baseload electricity using deuterium and helium-3 fuel.
Extreme Conditions Make Fusion Hard
- Achieving fusion requires both ~100 million degree temperatures and very high pressure conditions simultaneously.
- David compares those conditions to hotter than the sun and deeper than the Mariana Trench.
From Rockets Back To Fusion
- David left academia to work on space propulsion and applied those plasma and electromagnetics learnings back to fusion.
- That pivot led to faster iteration and multiple small prototypes rather than decades-long academic cycles.