Marvel Fusion, a German fusion energy startup, has partnered with Colorado State University (CSU), to develop a USD 150 million next-gen, high-power laser, and fusion research facility on the CSU Foothills campus.

This facility will be used by Marvel to advance its fusion approach. The facility, which is set to be completed in 2026, will feature at least three laser systems, each with a multi-petawatt peak power and an ultra-fast repetition rate of ten flashes per second.

Marvel also stated that in parallel to this partnership it is planning to construct a prototype as its next step toward a commercial fusion power plant. This prototype will feature hundreds of laser systems that will be capable of achieving fusion ignition to prove the technology at scale.

Analyst QuickTake: This collaboration comes after Marvel’s EUR 35 million (~USD 40 million) Series A funding round in February 2022 . The company intended to use the funds to advance its theoretical and experimental initiatives to develop fusion energy. Marvel’s fusion concept is based on highly intense short-pulsed lasers and proprietary nano-structured fuel targets. So far, the company has conducted experiments for over four years using ultrashort pulse high-intensity lasers and nanostructured fuel targets and validated fundamental physics factors of the theoretical model.