![[focused energy logo.svg|300]] Company website: [https://www.focused-energy.co/](https://www.focused-energy.co/) ### Introduction Focused Energy was founded in July 2021 by Prof. Dr. Markus Roth and Dr. Todd Ditmire, physicists with expertise in high-energy lasers and inertial confinement fusion, building on breakthroughs like those at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). Headquartered in Darmstadt, Germany, with operations in Austin, Texas, the company's mission is to develop laser-driven inertial fusion energy (IFE) as a source of clean, abundant, and limitless power, pursuing the most promising path to commercial fusion by optimizing laser and target systems for energy gain and manufacturability. Focused Energy's key focus areas include advancing direct-drive laser fusion for high-gain energy production, engineering scalable power plants with mass-producible components, and addressing climate change through sustainable, baseload electricity that leverages existing nuclear physics advancements while minimizing environmental impact; the company emphasizes collaboration with scientific institutions to overcome engineering challenges in fuel compression, ignition, and system integration for rapid deployment. ### Key Products and Technology - **Direct-Drive Laser Fusion System**: An inertial confinement fusion (IFE) approach using high-energy lasers to compress and ignite fusion fuel pellets; features include optimized laser performance for energy gain, manufacturable components for scalability, and integration of compression and ignition lasers; applications in generating clean electricity from fusion, with potential for grid-scale power plants producing abundant, carbon-free energy. - **Pearl™ Fusion Fuel**: A deuterium-tritium fuel pellet designed for laser fusion; features high compression efficiency, derived from seawater and lithium for sustainability, and compatibility with direct-drive ignition; applications in enabling net energy production in fusion reactors, reducing reliance on rare materials. - **High-Energy Laser Systems**: Kilojoule-class lasers developed in partnership for fusion experiments; features high-repetition rates, advanced optics for precision targeting, and beyond-state-of-the-art performance; applications in testing fusion targets, optimizing ignition processes, and scaling to commercial power plants. ### Team and Leadership - **Thomas Forner, Co-Founder and CEO**: Leads overall strategy and operations; background in entrepreneurship and fusion commercialization; focuses on engineering challenges for inertial fusion; X handle: not available; LinkedIn: not publicly listed. - **Prof. Dr. Markus Roth, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer**: Oversees scientific research and target technology; expert in laser-plasma interactions, former leader at GSI Helmholtz Centre; X handle: not available; LinkedIn: not publicly listed. - **Dr. Todd Ditmire, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer**: Manages laser system development; pioneer in high-intensity lasers, former NIF contributor; X handle: not available; LinkedIn: not publicly listed. - **Scott Mercer, Vice President**: Contributes to operations; background in engineering from California Polytechnic; X handle: not available; LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-mercer-7ab2929. ### Recent News and Developments (2025) | Date | Event | Details | |------|--------|---------| | March 24, 2025 | Signs Agreement with RWE and German State | Focused Energy partnered with RWE and the German state to advance laser fusion, focusing on commercial development and energy integration. | | February 5, 2025 | Partners with LLNL on Fusion Modeling | Announced CRADA with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to develop simulation models for low-density fusion foams, optimizing inertial fusion targets. | ### Partnerships and Collaborations - **Amplitude Laser Group**: $40 million agreement in December 2024 (ongoing 2025) to develop two kilojoule-class high-energy lasers for fusion testing and optimization. - **Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)**: Strategic partnership including a CRADA announced February 5, 2025, for modeling low-density fusion foams and optimizing target designs for inertial fusion energy. - **RWE and German State**: Agreement signed March 24, 2025, to collaborate on laser fusion development, supporting commercial pathways and infrastructure. - **Oxford Sigma**: Long-term collaboration since August 2023 (ongoing 2025) to accelerate power station designs for fusion energy, focusing on inertial confinement systems. - **Pulsed Light Technologies**: Research cooperative agreement as part of Germany's Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovations (SPRIND) support. ### Closing Note Having raised over $175 million in private capital and public grants, Focused Energy is at an early development stage with key milestones like laser acquisitions and partnerships, positioning it for prototype testing in 2026 and commercial fusion progress amid growing global interest in inertial confinement energy. *Report generated July 28, 2025*