Austin-based company Aalo Atomics announced it has raised 100 million US dollars (USD) in its Series B funding round. The round was led by Valor Equity Partners, with participation from several new and existing investors such as Fine Structure Ventures, Hitachi Ventures, NRG Energy, Vamos Ventures, and Crescent Enterprises. This amount brings the company’s total funding to more than 136 million USD, according to its statement.
This capital will allow Aalo Atomics to build its first commercial nuclear reactor, named Aalo-X. The project is part of the United States Department of Energy’s (DOE) Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program, an initiative designed to support eleven advanced reactor projects, at least three of which are expected to achieve criticality in less than one year.
A modular reactor for data centers
The Aalo-X reactor is based on the Aalo Pod technology, a modular 50 megawatt-electric (MWe) power unit designed to meet the specific energy needs of data centers. Each Pod contains five sodium-cooled Aalo-1 reactors using low-enriched uranium fuel. Its modular configuration and independence from external water sources are presented as advantages for siting these units directly alongside data infrastructure.
Aalo Atomics plans to build an experimental data center next to the Aalo-X plant, marking the first direct combination of a nuclear facility with a data center. The stated goal is to demonstrate the feasibility of this energy pairing at an industrial scale, particularly for future multi-gigawatt deployments.
Target: Commissioning by summer 2026
The company aims to achieve zero-power criticality – a key milestone in a reactor startup – by next summer. Unlike an experimental prototype, the Aalo-X is designed as a complete plant, intended to generate electricity for industrial purposes. This positioning differs from traditional approaches focused on demonstrators or pilot units with limited applications.
Founded in 2023, Aalo Atomics plans to double its current workforce of around 60 employees. Recruitment will focus primarily on specialists in nuclear engineering and manufacturing to support the company’s operational scale-up.