![[GF_Logo_RGB_Red.svg|300]] Company website: [https://generalfusion.com/](https://generalfusion.com/) ### Introduction General Fusion was founded in 2002 by Dr. Michel Laberge, a plasma physicist who pioneered the company's approach to Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF) after leaving a career in laser technology. Headquartered in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, the company's mission is to transform the world's energy supply with clean, limitless fusion power, delivering zero-carbon electricity to the grid by the early to mid-2030s through practical, commercially viable MTF technology that addresses urgent demands for sustainable energy. The key focus areas include developing MTF systems that compress magnetized plasma using mechanical pistons to achieve fusion conditions, advancing demonstration machines like the Lawson Machine 26 (LM26), and scaling to power plants while emphasizing cost-effectiveness, safety, and rapid deployment; General Fusion collaborates globally to overcome fusion challenges, positioning itself as a leader in the race for commercial fusion amid rising electricity demand and carbon reduction targets. ### Key Products and Technology - **Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF)**: A hybrid fusion approach combining magnetic confinement and inertial compression; features mechanical pistons compressing plasma in a liquid metal vortex to achieve fusion temperatures, high neutron flux for energy production, and simplified design using proven components for lower costs and faster scaling; applications in utility-scale power generation, providing clean baseload electricity with potential for hydrogen production and industrial heat. - **Lawson Machine 26 (LM26)**: A large-scale MTF demonstration device assembled in 2024 and operational in early 2025; features capability to reach over 100 million degrees Celsius, targeting scientific breakeven equivalent by 2026, with plasma injectors and liquid metal compression; applications in validating MTF at commercial scales, de-risking technology, and accelerating path to fusion power plants. ### Team and Leadership - **Greg Twinney, CEO**: Leads operations and strategy since 2020; focuses on technical milestones and financing; issued calls for investment amid 2025 challenges; X handle: not available; LinkedIn: not publicly listed. - **Dr. Michel Laberge, Founder and Chief Science Officer**: Co-founded in 2002; oversees plasma physics and MTF innovation; Ph.D. in physics, pioneered mechanical compression; X handle: not available; LinkedIn: not publicly listed. - **Bob Smith, Strategic Advisor**: Joined April 2025; advises on scaling and commercialization; over 35 years in aerospace, former Blue Origin CEO; X handle: not available; LinkedIn: not publicly listed. ### Recent News and Developments (2025) | Date | Event | Details | |------|--------|---------| | May 5, 2025 | Layoffs and Funding Appeal | CEO Greg Twinney announced layoffs of about 25% of workforce due to financing constraints, calling for new investors after achieving LM26 milestones. | | April 2, 2025 | Bob Smith Joins as Advisor | Former Blue Origin CEO Bob Smith appointed strategic advisor to support technology scaling and growth. | | March 27, 2025 | Peer-Reviewed Publication | Nuclear Fusion journal confirmed plasma energy confinement times exceeding 10 milliseconds, key for LM26 progress. | | March 10, 2025 | Achieves First Plasma in LM26 | Demonstrated first plasma in Lawson Machine 26, advancing toward 100 million degrees Celsius and breakeven equivalent. | ### Partnerships and Collaborations - **UKAEA (United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority)**: Public-private partnership since 2018 for fusion demonstration plant at Culham, including neutron modeling and Thomson scattering system development. - **Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)**: Collaboration on plasma behavior predictions and compression modeling for LM26. ### Closing Note Having raised over $300 million from investors including Jeff Bezos and facing a funding squeeze in 2025 leading to layoffs, General Fusion is at a demonstration stage with LM26 operational, targeting scientific breakeven by 2026 and commercial power by the early 2030s amid challenges in capital and scaling. *Report generated July 28, 2025*