Electronics Weekly
The funding round was led by Hanaco Ventures with participation from Seraphim, Balerion Space Ventures, JAWS, Vanderbilt University, RiverPark Ventures, Stage 1 Ventures, 7i Capital, and Beyond Earth Ventures.
A developer of nuclear batteries, Zeno powers says it will grow its team to over 100 employees and invest in manufacturing capabilities to scale production. It expects to deliver product to market in 2027. The batteries will be capable of producing 10 – 100s watts of electricity.
Strontium-90
The batteries are based on Strontium-90 (Sr-90), which Zeno describes as an abundant nuclear waste product. The resilient batteries are designed to deliver energy for years without sunlight, refuelling, or recharging.
The company is eyeing infrastructure applications on the lunar surface, enduring cryogenic conditions, but also ocean floors and arctic locations. It is preparing, for example, to demonstrate its nuclear battery for maritime use through a U.S. Department of Defense contract.
“With great power competition rising, the ocean floor, Arctic, and lunar surface are becoming the front lines of global security and economic progress – but they remain energy deserts,” said Tyler Bernstein, Co-Founder and CEO of Zeno Power.
“With this round of funding, we’re on track to demonstrate full-scale systems in 2026 and deliver the first commercially built nuclear batteries to power frontier environments by 2027.”
iSpace
Zeno recently announced an agreement with iSpace-U.S to enable lunar missions to survive the harsh lunar night.
The companies are targeting a demonstration mission as early as 2027 to validate this capability on the lunar surface. Leicester University has working with iSpace on this technology.
The university’s Space Nuclear Power group at the University of Leicester has been developing radioisotope power systems for over a decade.
“These power systems use the heat generated from the decay of radioisotopes, and can be used to provide heat to spacecraft, or converted to electricity to power key subsystems,” the university previously explained.
Zeno Power
Zeno Power is based in Seattle and Washington, DC.
The company highlights the potential of nuclear energy in remote, demanding environments. On the Moon, for example, power is a requirement for a lunar presence to survive the two-week lunar night. Temperature fall to minus 170 degrees Celsius during the darkness.
And on the ocean floor, seabed infrastructure require energy systems that will last years. While, freezing temperatures and months of darkness render solar and conventional batteries inoperable in Arctic situations.
Admiral
In terms of personnel, Admiral John M. Richardson, U.S. Navy (Retired) is joining Zeno’s Board of Directors. The former Chief of Naval Operations will help the company brings its technology to “contested and energy-scarce domains”.
“I’m proud to join Zeno Power at a strategic moment for nuclear innovation,” said Admiral Richardson. “Zeno’s nuclear batteries provide safe, reliable, and long-lasting power from the seabed to space, where traditional energy sources can’t reach. Competition is on in these newly contested domains, and Zeno will help power us forward to stay ahead.”
Image: Zeno Power
