Floating nuclear reactor startup Bluecore Energy has raised an oversubscribed $50 million seed round just two months after launching out of stealth. Led by Silverton Partners, the round saw participation from pre-seed investors including Slauson & Co., Harlem Capital, and Chris Larsen, alongside new investments from Collab Capital, HartBeat Ventures, and tech angel investors.
Founded by Kofi Asante, the Long Beach-based startup builds small modular reactors (SMRs) mounted on floating barges to deliver portable clean energy to ports, municipal infrastructure, and AI data centers. The company has already launched two floating barges and formally engaged in design reviews with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the U.S. Coast Guard.
The capital will be used for continued product development, regulatory approval, nuclear fuel procurement, and hiring. The company noted high inbound demand from data centers and ports seeking rapid, off-grid clean power solutions.
Why it matters
Floating SMRs offer AI data center operators a potential shortcut around grid interconnection bottlenecks and land permitting delays.
High investor demand highlights rising venture appetite for novel energy infrastructure powering compute expansion.
Regulatory approvals from the NRC and Coast Guard remain the primary execution risk for mobile nuclear deployments.
Source: techcrunch.com
