Zap Energy, a private fusion startup, announced it will also pursue nuclear fission reactors. The company plans to run fission development in parallel with its existing fusion device program.

The announcement arrived without a detailed timeline or funding breakdown. Zap Energy’s statement simply noted that adding fission expands the company’s options for delivering grid‑scale power.

The fusion effort has struggled to clear the physics and engineering hurdles that separate laboratory prototypes from commercial plants. Zap Energy’s leadership cited the uncertainty around a single‑path approach as t…

By opening a fission track, the startup hopes to capture revenue sooner while keeping its fusion research alive. The move mirrors a broader pattern where deep‑tech firms hedge against long development cycles.