![[radiant-industries-light-sm.webp|300]] Company website: https://www.radiantnuclear.com/ ### Introduction Radiant Industries, Inc., commonly known as Radiant Nuclear, is a U.S.-based clean energy startup focused on developing portable nuclear microreactors to provide reliable, carbon-free power solutions. Founded in 2020 by Doug Bernauer, a former SpaceX engineer with expertise in electrical systems and rocketry, and Bob Urberger, an experienced nuclear technologist serving as CTO, the company emerged from Bernauer's vision to create transparent, anti-stealth innovation in nuclear technology. Headquartered in El Segundo, California, Radiant's mission is to mass-produce portable nuclear microreactors that replace diesel generators, delivering clean electricity and heat to remote, off-grid, and critical infrastructure locations while advancing global energy resilience and decarbonization. The company's key focus areas include designing compact, factory-built reactors for rapid deployment in challenging environments, such as military bases, data centers, hospitals, and remote communities. Radiant emphasizes safety through advanced fuels and cooling systems, aiming to conduct its first fueled reactor test in 2026 and achieve commercial deployments by 2028. Backed by significant venture funding and partnerships with government labs, Radiant positions itself as a pioneer in microreactor technology, addressing energy needs for defense, industrial applications, and emerging demands like AI-driven data centers amid a resurgence in nuclear interest. ### Key Products and Technology - **Kaleidos Microreactor**: Radiant's flagship product, a portable, factory-fabricated nuclear microreactor designed for mass production and easy transportation via standard shipping methods, resembling a shipping container in size. - **Power Output and Scalability**: Generates 1 megawatt electric (MWe) and 1.9 megawatts thermal (MWth) per unit, with the ability to operate from 30% to 100% capacity; multiple units can be clustered for higher output, suitable for modular scaling. - **Fuel and Efficiency**: Utilizes meltdown-proof TRISO (tristructural isotropic) fuel particles—ceramic-coated uranium kernels enriched to high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) levels—proven in over 30 reactors since the 1960s; offers over 110 times the energy density of diesel systems, with a fuel cycle lasting years without frequent refueling. - **Safety and Design Features**: Employs helium gas coolant, which remains non-radioactive and enables air cooling via fans, eliminating water dependency and reducing site requirements; features passive cooling through natural convection in an air jacket for "walk-away safe" operation; resilient to extreme events like fires, floods, impacts, or attacks; fully assembled, fueled, and tested in-factory to minimize on-site construction and regulatory hurdles. - **Applications**: Replaces diesel generators in remote villages, provides resilient backup power for hospitals and data centers, supports military installations for energy security, enables facility heating or water desalination using thermal output, and integrates with renewables like solar or wind for hybrid systems; targeted for off-grid operations, disaster relief, and high-demand sectors requiring uninterrupted, low-carbon energy. ### Team and Leadership - **Doug Bernauer, CEO and Co-Founder**: Leads overall strategy and operations; brings 12 years of experience from SpaceX, where he worked on electrical systems, the Grasshopper rocket prototype, and early Mars initiatives, as well as contributions to The Boring Company; emphasizes transparent development in nuclear tech. [@DougBernauer](https://x.com/DougBernauer) - **Bob Urberger, CTO and Co-Founder**: Oversees technical development of the Kaleidos reactor; seasoned nuclear engineer with expertise in reactor design and safety systems, committed to anti-stealth transparency since the company's inception. - **Dr. Rita Baranwal, Chief Nuclear Officer**: Joined in June 2025 to guide regulatory and nuclear strategy; former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Energy (2019-2021), with a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from the University of Michigan; extensive background in advanced nuclear fuels and reactor materials from roles at Westinghouse and the U.S. Department of Energy. [@RitaB66](https://x.com/RitaB66) (personal handle often shares industry insights). ### Recent News and Developments (2025) | Date | Event | Details | |------|--------|---------| | July 2, 2025 | Selected by DOE for First New Nuclear Reactor Test in DOME | Radiant was chosen by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as the first new commercial reactor design to be tested in the Demonstration of Microreactor Experiments (DOME) facility at Idaho National Laboratory, with installation and testing set to begin in Spring 2026 in collaboration with Westinghouse. | | July 2, 2025 | Partnership with Westinghouse for Microreactor Tests | Announced collaboration with Westinghouse Electric Company to conduct the first U.S. microreactor tests in DOME, advancing Kaleidos toward fueled prototype demonstration. | | June 3, 2025 | Dr. Rita Baranwal Appointed as Chief Nuclear Officer | Hired former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Energy to lead nuclear operations and regulatory efforts ahead of 2026 testing. | | May 29, 2025 | Closes $165 Million Series C Funding Round | Secured funding led by investors to accelerate Kaleidos development, microreactor testing, and supply chain buildup for mass production. | | May 7, 2025 | Uranium Supply Agreement with Uranium Energy Corp | Signed deal for domestic uranium supply to fuel Kaleidos microreactors, supporting U.S.-based nuclear value chain and deployment starting in 2028. | | April 10, 2025 | DOE Allocates HALEU Fuel for Kaleidos Test | Selected by DOE to receive high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) for the first Kaleidos reactor test, marking a key milestone toward 2026 demonstration. | ### Partnerships and Collaborations - **U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL)**: Collaborative testing support through the DOME facility for Kaleidos prototype, including $3.9 million in funding for fueled experiments and experiment design advancement. - **Westinghouse Electric Company**: Joint effort to perform the first U.S. microreactor tests in DOME, leveraging Westinghouse's expertise in nuclear operations for Radiant's 2026 demonstration. - **Uranium Energy Corp (UEC)**: Strategic uranium supply agreement announced in May 2025 to provide domestic fuel for microreactors, building a full U.S. nuclear value chain. - **Centrus Energy**: Partnership for securing high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) supply, essential for Kaleidos fuel fabrication and domestic sourcing. - **Amsted Graphite Materials**: Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on nuclear-grade graphite supply, reducing reliance on foreign sources and fortifying the U.S. supply chain. - **Idaho Strategic Resources**: MOU establishing a pathway to operate one or more initial Kaleidos units at viable sites in Idaho, supporting early deployment. - **Hill Air Force Base (U.S. Department of Defense)**: Partnership for energy resilience modeling and simulation, including Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding to assess microreactor applications for military bases. - **Argonne National Laboratory**: Collaboration on numerical modeling of heat production and removal in Kaleidos, funded by DOE's Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) voucher program. - **Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and Departments of the Army and Air Force**: Selected as eligible for the Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations (ANPI) program to design, license, and build microreactors for defense applications. ### Closing Note With over $165 million raised in its 2025 Series C round bringing total funding to more than $265 million, Radiant Nuclear remains in the advanced development stage, targeting a 2026 reactor test and 2028 deployments to capitalize on growing demand for portable, clean energy solutions in defense and commercial sectors. *Report generated August 04, 2025*