Sam Altman-backed startup Helion is in talks to sell power to OpenAI

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is stepping down as chairman of Helion – the merger startup he backs – amid reports of talks between the two companies.

The deal that was Axios reportedstill in its early stages, could guarantee OpenAI 12.5% ​​of Helion’s production – five gigawatts by 2030 and 50 gigawatts by 2035. OpenAI partner Microsoft A similar deal was signed with Asparagus In 2023 to purchase energy starting in 2028.

If the numbers in the Axios report prove accurate, it would suggest that Helion expects to be able to quickly scale up the production of its fusion power plant. The startup said each of its reactors will generate 50 megawatts of electricity, meaning it will need to build and install 800 reactors by 2030 and an additional 7,200 reactors by 2035.

Helion has not confirmed whether talks with OpenAI are ongoing. A spokesperson told TechCrunch that the company has not announced any new customer agreements beyond those it already has with Microsoft and Nucor. However, the company confirmed to TechCrunch that Altman will be leaving his position as Chairman of Helion, suggesting that the two companies may eventually work together.

“Sam will step down from Helion’s board of directors after more than a decade. This decision enables Helion and OpenAI to partner on future opportunities to bring safe, carbon-free electricity to the world,” David Kirtley, co-founder and CEO of the company, told TechCrunch in a statement. “We look forward to continuing to work with him in his new role.”

Helion is racing to build its first commercial reactor by then. If the startup succeeds, it will put it years ahead of the competition, which mostly targets the early 2030s for commercial operations.

startup It raised $425 million last year From investors, including Altman as well as Mithril, Lightspeed and SoftBank.

Most fusion startups strive to achieve this One of the two approaches — Collect heat from fusion reactions and use steam turbines to convert it into electricity. Helion is taking a different tack, developing a reactor design that uses magnets to convert fusion energy into electricity.

Inside the hourglass-shaped reactor, fusion fuel is first converted into plasma at both ends and then shot toward each other using magnetic fields. When they collide in the middle, another set of magnets compresses the merging plasma ball until fusion occurs. The reaction pushes the magnet back, which can convert that energy directly into electricity.

Helion is currently operating a Polaris prototype vehicle before moving on to commercial power. In February, the company produced plasma inside the reactor reached 150 million degrees Celsius, Approximately 200 million degrees Celsius the company believes will be required for commercial operations.

Although Altman has stepped down as chairman of Helion’s board and has reportedly withdrawn from discussions, his fingerprints are all over the matchmaking process.

Last year, Altman stepped down as chairman of Oklo, a small nuclear reactor startup that merged with his buyout firm AltC. The move was intended to allow Oklo to explore strategic partnerships with leading AI companies, including potentially OpenAI,” Carolyn Cochran, co-founder and chief operating officer of Oklo, said. He said In a statement he provided to CNBC at the time.

Update at 1:30 PM ET: Added confirmation from Helion regarding Altman stepping down as Chairman.