Inertia Enterprises, a fusion energy startup, has raised $450 million in a Series A funding round. The capital will help the company build the world’s most powerful laser and advance its fusion power technology.
The funding round was led by Bessemer Venture Partners. Other investors include GV (formerly Google Ventures), Modern Capital, Threshold Ventures, Long Journey Ventures, and others.
Inertia was founded in 2024. The company’s mission is to make fusion energy a practical and clean power source for the grid. It plans to use its new funds to build key parts of its fusion system and to scale components that are essential for commercial power plants.
Fusion energy has long been viewed as a potential source of abundant, clean power. Inertia’s recent funding round is one of the largest for any fusion startup. It reflects growing investor interest in bringing fusion out of the lab and into real-world use.
What Fusion Energy Is and How Inertia’s Approach Works
Fusion is the process that powers the sun. It happens when light elements such as hydrogen combine to form a heavier element. This process releases a large amount of energy. Fusion does not produce carbon emissions, and it generates much less long-lived radiation than fission nuclear power.
Inertia’s technology is based on a fusion method called inertial confinement fusion (ICF). ICF uses powerful lasers to compress tiny fuel pellets. When the pellets reach high temperature and pressure, fusion reactions occur.
The company plans to build a laser system called Thunderwall. This system is designed to deliver powerful beams at a rapid rate. The laser will fire repeated pulses into fuel targets, generating the conditions needed for fusion.
Inertia’s founders include leaders with experience in fusion science and large-scale research facilities. This includes scientists from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s National Ignition Facility (NIF). Their experiments showed fusion ignition, which produced more energy than they used on the target.
The company’s CEO and co-founder, Jeff Lawson, previously led Twilio, a technology company that grew into a major communications platform. He now leads Inertia’s effort to translate fusion science into clean energy technology. He said,
“Our plan is clear: build on proven science to develop the technology and supply chain required to deliver the world’s highest average power laser, the first fusion target assembly plant, and the first gigawatt, utility-scale fusion power plant to the grid. Inertia is building the team, partnerships, and capabilities to make this real within the next decade.”
Inside the $450M Bet on Commercial Fusion
The $450 million funding round is considered one of the largest for a fusion startup in its early phase. The money will support several major activities, including:
- Building Thunderwall, the powerful average-power laser system.
- Developing manufacturing lines for fusion fuel targets.
- Creating the first pilot plant and laying the groundwork for future commercial plants.
- Scaling supply chains for components like laser diodes and fuel pellets.
Investors say Inertia’s technology has the potential to reach commercial-scale fusion energy faster than other approaches. They cite the company’s focus on proven physics from earlier lab experiments.
Co-founder, Dr. Annie Kritcher, remarked,
“In just three years, we’ve gone from the first experiment to ever produce more fusion energy than was delivered to the target, to repeating that result many times and pushing the target gain higher. We’re now focused on translating physics we know works into a pathway toward commercial-scale fusion energy, and the real benefits it can deliver for people and the planet.”
From Lab Ignition to Grid Ambition: Inertia’s Fusion Roadmap
Inertia’s approach relies on key breakthroughs made at the NIF in Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. In December 2022, researchers reported a major breakthrough. They conducted the first controlled fusion experiment that generated more energy than it received.
The NIF success provided proof of concept. It showed that inertial confinement fusion could technically produce net energy in a single experiment. Inertia’s team includes some of the scientists from that effort.
- Inertia’s long-term goal is to build a fusion power plant with 1.5 gigawatts (GW) of capacity. A plant of this size could supply electricity for about 1 million homes.
The next challenge is to make the fusion process repeatable and efficient enough to produce continuous power. Inertia plans to use advanced diode lasers. These lasers are expected to be about 10x more efficient than older technologies. The company believes this will significantly lower the cost of fusion energy production.
Fusion Joins the Clean Energy Investment Surge
Fusion energy investment has grown quickly in recent years. Both governments and private companies are putting large sums into the sector. It is now part of a broader clean energy funding trend that includes startups pursuing both fusion and fission technologies.
Private fusion funding has exploded over the past five years. Total investment reached $13.2 billion by the end of 2025. That amount is up 8x from 2020, when just 15 companies raised $400 million.
The US leads with 53% (~$7B) while China holds 34%. Active companies surged 400% from 15 to 77, reflecting broader investor diversification across ICF, tokamaks, and stellarators. Inertia’s $450M sits atop this record-breaking year.
Some other fusion startups that have attracted significant capital include:
- Commonwealth Fusion Systems, with roughly $2.86 billion raised to date.
- Helion Energy, with more than $1 billion in funding and commitments.
- Pacific Fusion, reported to have raised about $900 million.
- General Fusion, with about $357 million raised.
Private capital flows into fusion are increasing as the global demand for clean energy rises. Many countries are moving to reduce carbon emissions and to invest in technologies that can provide large amounts of clean power with minimal environmental impact.
In the United States, the Department of Energy (DOE) awarded $134 million for fusion research programs. These include the Fusion Innovative Research Engine (FIRE) and the INFUSE program. The DOE said it could invest up to $220 million over four years in the FIRE initiative. The goal is to link national labs, universities, and private firms to speed up fusion development.
The DOE has also partnered with companies such as Kyoto Fusioneering to test fusion fuel cycle systems at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. These efforts aim to prepare key technologies for future fusion plants.
Private capital is also rising, as shown in the chart.
Italian energy major Eni signed a more than $1 billion power purchase agreement (PPA) with Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS). The deal covers electricity from CFS’s planned 400-megawatt ARC fusion plant in Virginia. The plant is expected to connect to the grid in the early 2030s.
CFS has also signed a deal with Google for 200 megawatts of future fusion power. These agreements show that large energy buyers are planning for fusion in long-term clean energy strategies.
- READ MORE: Google Backs Fusion Energy: Signs 200MW Offtake Agreement with Commonwealth Fusion Systems
Governments and corporations now see fusion as a long-term clean energy option backed by serious funding and market commitments. That is because fusion energy does not emit carbon during power generation and uses fuel that is abundant in nature, such as isotopes of hydrogen. This makes it attractive as a long-term clean energy option alongside renewables such as wind and solar.
Could Fusion Become the Ultimate Baseload Power?
Inertia’s $450 million funding round is a landmark moment for the fusion industry. It shows that investors are willing to back ambitious clean energy technologies with long-term horizons.
Fusion has the potential to provide baseload clean power — power that is stable and available around the clock. This could complement intermittent renewables like solar and wind.
If commercial fusion is achieved, it could transform the global energy landscape. Countries could reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Power systems could become cleaner and more resilient.
However, fusion still needs major technological breakthroughs before it becomes a practical energy source. Inertia and other fusion companies are working to solve the remaining scientific, engineering, and supply chain challenges.
The next few years will be critical for measuring progress. Successful fusion commercialization could mark a turning point in the global effort to achieve deep decarbonization and sustainable energy systems.
The post Fusion Breakthrough: Google Venture-Backed Inertia Raises $450M to Build World’s Most Powerful Clean Energy Laser appeared first on Carbon Credits.
A carbon credit purchase is not a transaction that closes at issuance. The credit may be retired, the certificate filed, and the reporting box ticked. But on the ground, in the forest, in the field, and in the community, the work continues. It endures for years. In many cases, for decades.
Carbon Footprint
Industries with the biggest nature footprints and what their decarbonisation looks like
A corporate carbon footprint is never just an accounting figure. It maps onto real ecosystems. Before a product leaves the factory gate, something on the ground has already paid the cost. A forest has been converted. A river has been depleted. A patch of savannah that was once home to dozens of species now grows a single crop in every direction.
More than 60 global companies, including Apple, Amazon, BYD, Salesforce, Mars, and Schneider Electric, are pushing back against proposed changes to global emissions reporting rules. The group is calling for more flexibility under the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol), the most widely used framework for measuring corporate carbon footprints.
The companies submitted a joint statement asking that new requirements, especially those affecting Scope 2 emissions, remain optional rather than mandatory. Their letter stated:
“To drive critical climate progress, it’s imperative that we get this revision right. We strongly urge the GHGP to improve upon the existing guidance, but not stymie critical electricity decarbonization investments by mandating a change that fundamentally threatens participation in this voluntary market, which acts as the linchpin in decarbonization across nearly all sectors of the economy. The revised guidance must encourage more clean energy procurement and enable more impactful corporate action, not unintentionally discourage it.”
The debate comes at a critical time. Corporate climate disclosures now influence trillions of dollars in capital flows, while stricter reporting rules are being introduced across major economies.
The Rulebook for Carbon: What the GHG Protocol Is and Why It’s Being Updated
The Greenhouse Gas Protocol is the world’s most widely used system for measuring corporate emissions. It is used by over 90% of companies that report greenhouse gas data globally, making it the foundation of most climate disclosures.
It divides emissions into three categories:
- Scope 1: Direct emissions from operations
- Scope 2: Emissions from purchased electricity
- Scope 3: Emissions across the value chain
The current Scope 2 rules were introduced in 2015, but energy markets have changed since then. Renewable energy has expanded, and companies now play a major role in funding clean power.
Corporate buyers have already supported more than 100 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity globally through voluntary purchases. This shows how influential the current system has been.
The GHG Protocol is now updating its rules to improve accuracy and transparency. The revision process includes input from more than 45 experts across industry, government, and academia, reflecting its global importance.
Scope 2 Shake-Up: The Battle Over Real-Time Carbon Tracking
The proposed update would shift how companies report electricity emissions. Instead of using flexible systems like renewable energy certificates (RECs), companies would need to match their electricity use with clean energy that is:
- Generated at the same time, and
- Located in the same grid region.
This is known as “24/7” or hourly or real-time matching. It aims to reflect the actual impact of electricity use on the grid. Companies, including Apple and Amazon, say this shift could create challenges.
According to industry feedback, stricter rules could raise energy costs and limit access to renewable energy in some regions. It can also slow corporate investment in new clean energy projects.
The concern is that many markets do not yet have enough renewable supply for real-time matching. Infrastructure for tracking hourly emissions is also still developing.
This creates a key tension. The new rules could improve accuracy and reduce greenwashing. But they may also make it harder for companies to scale clean energy quickly.
The outcome will shape how companies measure emissions, invest in renewables, and meet net-zero targets in the years ahead.
Why More Than 60 Companies Oppose the Changes
The companies argue that stricter rules could slow climate progress rather than accelerate it. Their main concern is cost and feasibility. Many regions still lack enough renewable energy to support real-time matching. For global companies, aligning energy use across different grids is complex.
In their joint statement, the group warned that mandatory changes could:
- Increase electricity prices,
- Reduce participation in voluntary clean energy markets, and
- Slow investment in renewable energy projects.
They argue that current market-based systems, such as RECs, have helped scale clean energy quickly over the past decade. Removing flexibility could weaken that momentum.
This reflects a broader tension between accuracy and scalability in climate reporting.
Big Tech Pushback: Apple and Amazon’s Climate Progress
Despite their push for flexibility, both companies have made measurable progress on emissions reduction.
Apple reports that it has reduced its total greenhouse gas emissions by more than 60% compared to 2015 levels, even as revenue grew significantly. The company is targeting carbon neutrality across its entire value chain by 2030. It also reported that supplier renewable energy use helped avoid over 26 million metric tons of CO₂ emissions in 2025 alone.
In addition, about 30% of materials used in Apple products in 2025 were recycled, showing a shift toward circular manufacturing.
Amazon has also set a net-zero target for 2040 under its Climate Pledge. The company is one of the world’s largest corporate buyers of renewable energy and continues to invest heavily in clean power, logistics electrification, and low-carbon infrastructure.
Both companies argue that flexible accounting frameworks have supported these investments at scale.
The Bigger Challenge: Scope 3 and Digital Emissions
The debate over Scope 2 reporting is only part of a larger issue. For most large companies, Scope 3 emissions account for more than 70% of total emissions. These include supply chains, product use, and outsourced services.
In the technology sector, emissions are rising due to:
- Data centers,
- Cloud computing, and
- Artificial intelligence workloads.
Global data centers already consume about 415–460 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity per year, equal to roughly 1.5%–2% of global power demand. This figure is expected to increase sharply. The International Energy Agency estimates that data center electricity demand could double by 2030, driven largely by AI.
This creates a major reporting challenge. Even with cleaner electricity, total emissions can rise as digital demand grows.
Climate Reporting Rules Are Tightening Globally
The pushback comes as climate disclosure requirements are expanding and becoming more standardized across major economies. What was once voluntary ESG reporting is steadily shifting toward mandatory, audit-ready climate transparency.
In the European Union, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is now active. It requires large companies and, later, listed SMEs, to share detailed sustainability data. This data must match the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). This includes granular reporting on emissions across Scope 1, 2, and increasingly Scope 3 value chains.
In the United States, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) aims for mandatory climate-related disclosures for public companies. This includes governance, risk exposure, and emissions reporting. However, some parts of the rule face legal and political scrutiny.
The United Kingdom has included climate disclosure through TCFD requirements. Now, it is moving toward ISSB-based global standards to make comparisons easier. Similarly, Canada is progressing with ISSB-aligned mandatory reporting frameworks for large public issuers.
In Asia, momentum is also accelerating. Japan is introducing the Sustainability Standards Board of Japan (SSBJ) rules that match ISSB standards. Meanwhile, China is tightening ESG disclosure rules for listed companies through updates from its securities regulators. Singapore has also mandated climate reporting for listed companies, with phased Scope 3 expansion.
A clear trend is forming across jurisdictions: climate disclosure is aligning with ISSB global standards. There’s a growing focus on assurance, comparability, and transparency in value-chain emissions.
This regulatory tightening raises the bar significantly for corporations. The challenge is clear. Companies must:
- Align with multiple evolving disclosure regimes,
- Ensure emissions data is verifiable and auditable, and
- Expand reporting across complex global supply chains.
Balancing operational growth with compliance is becoming increasingly complex as climate regulation converges and intensifies worldwide.
A Turning Point for Global Carbon Accounting
The outcome of this debate could shape global carbon accounting standards for years.
If stricter rules are adopted, emissions reporting will become more precise. This could improve transparency and reduce greenwashing risks. However, it may also increase compliance costs and limit flexibility.
If the proposed changes remain optional, companies may continue using current accounting methods. This could support faster clean energy investment, but may leave gaps in reporting accuracy.
The new rules could take effect as early as next year, making this a near-term decision for global companies.
The push by Apple, Amazon, and other companies highlights a key tension in climate strategy. On one side is the need for accurate, real-time emissions reporting. On the other is the need for flexible systems that support large-scale clean energy investment.
As digital infrastructure expands and energy demand rises, how emissions are measured will matter as much as how they are reduced. The next phase of climate action will depend not just on targets—but on the systems used to track them.
The post Apple, Amazon Lead 60+ Firms to Ease Global Carbon Reporting Rules appeared first on Carbon Credits.
-
Climate Change9 months ago
Guest post: Why China is still building new coal – and when it might stop
-
Greenhouse Gases9 months ago
Guest post: Why China is still building new coal – and when it might stop
-
Greenhouse Gases2 years ago嘉宾来稿：满足中国增长的用电需求 光伏加储能“比新建煤电更实惠”
-
Climate Change2 years ago嘉宾来稿：满足中国增长的用电需求 光伏加储能“比新建煤电更实惠”
-
Climate Change2 years ago
Bill Discounting Climate Change in Florida’s Energy Policy Awaits DeSantis’ Approval
-
Renewable Energy7 months agoSending Progressive Philanthropist George Soros to Prison?
-
Carbon Footprint2 years agoUS SEC’s Climate Disclosure Rules Spur Renewed Interest in Carbon Credits
-
Greenhouse Gases10 months ago
嘉宾来稿：探究火山喷发如何影响气候预测