Pacific Fusion Prototype Delivers 440 Gigawatts in 80-Nanosecond Burst — Demo Facility Construction to Begin Summer 2026

On June 2, 2026, Pacific Fusion unveiled its latest subscale pulser module prototype, which successfully delivered 440 gigawatts of electrical power in an 80-nanosecond pulse — validating the company's approach to inertial confinement fusion using precisely-timed electrical pulses rather than the expensive laser systems used at NIF. The prototype is approximately one-third full scale, containing 9 stages with 90 bricks, each housing 2 capacitors and 1 switch. CTO Keith LeChien stated: 'It meets all our requirements for scaling up to build our big demonstration system.' The successful test unlocked a new tranche of Pacific Fusion's Series A round — which now exceeds $1 billion in total committed funding. Construction of the full-scale demonstration facility — featuring 156 full-size pulser modules aimed at facility-level energy breakeven — is scheduled to begin in summer 2026. The company is expanding from its Fremont, California base and announced a $1 billion fusion research and manufacturing campus in New Mexico. Pacific Fusion's tranche-based funding model, where capital unlocks upon achieving predefined milestones, is designed to keep the team focused on technical execution rather than continuous fundraising.