130 Million Euros for a German Startup: Europe shows it can compete in the race for the first fusion energy plant. But without speed, the chance for energy sovereignty and sustainable transformation risks being squandered.

By Jan Nintemann and Jochen Siegle

Nuclear fusion is considered one of the great hopes for a secure and clean energy supply. Unlike nuclear fission, it does not produce long-lived waste. Thus, fusion energy could help sustainably meet the growing demand for electricity for data centers, electric cars, and industry.

Opportunities in Nuclear Fusion: Europe Researches – USA and China Invest Faster

The Munich startup Proxima Fusion recently raised 130 million euros – the largest sum ever invested in a private fusion company in Europe. Goal: To build a first commercial power plant within the 2030s.

Europe plays a leading role in fusion research. The international research reactor ITER in France is the largest project of its kind. But while results there are only expected around 2039, young companies like Proxima Fusion, Marvel Fusion, Gauss Fusion, or Tokamak Energy (Oxford) are pursuing faster approaches.

In the USA, Commonwealth Fusion Systems is already building a reactor that is expected to deliver a positive energy balance in 2026. China invests billions every year in its own projects and aims to have a test reactor online by 2027.

Threat to Europe’s Green Business

Despite strong basic research, the EU lacks a clear plan for commercialization. Startups and investors warn that Europe could lose its leading role. While countries like Great Britain or France are investing billions in prototypes, Brussels remains hesitant.
The market is huge: Whoever builds a functioning fusion power plant first secures not only technological but also geopolitical advantages. For Europe’s Green Business, a setback would be fatal.

A Eurofighter of Fusion?

Experts are calling for a joint European major project – similar to the Eurofighter. Because only with combined efforts can Europe build its own supply chain and avoid dependencies on China.
According to experts, it remains open which technology Europe should prioritize: Tokamak (like ITER and CFS), Stellarator (e.g., Proxima Fusion, Gauss Fusion), or Laser Fusion (e.g., Marvel Fusion, Focused Energy).

Discussion at TransformIT Europe

At the TransformIT Europe Fair & Conference 2026, the question is being asked: Can nuclear fusion truly become a key for Europe’s sustainable transformation? What needs to happen for Europe to pick up the pace in this area, support startups, and more closely integrate research and industry, so that nuclear fusion can develop into a cornerstone of the Greentech revolution.

Fusion energy is no longer a distant future topic, but has long been part of the global competition for Green Business. Europe must now make the step from research to implementation – otherwise, it risks a lag that will be difficult to make up for.