Helion raises $425m for fusion machine, UKAEA invests £200m in fusion development, SMART tokamak advancement

Jeff Peachman, PhD student at the University of Washington, gives today's Fusion News update - summarizing the major recent headlines in fusion energy. Links to all of the stories mentioned are included below. 1. Helion raises $425M to help build a fusion reactor for Microsoft https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/28/helion-raises-425m-to-help-build-a-fusion-reactor-for-microsoft/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAACCHSANyin08I0FOcqSOfIR23FAoJh1rpHCxk-5f309sZIVfh3VYtpCEzicMBZFkEJ8J585dolFgu5sJrDyMefIClG23AXCb88_FqwreC_ta2lJwHsMycK-xW94q9B6uwnodJL_m8hUysYvtPtZK7Tot8T_3LVCUQSO1DscFQljr  2. Deploying Advanced Energy Tech Faster https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2025/sessions/deploying-advanced-energy-tech-faster/  3. UKAEA to invest £200m to advance fusion fuel development https://www.neimagazine.com/news/ukaea-to-invest-200m-to-advance-fusion-fuel-development/  4. SMART: One step closer to nuclear fusion with its first plasma https://phys.org/news/2025-01-smart-closer-nuclear-fusion-plasma.html  Bonus: Exclusive: Images show China building huge fusion research facility, analysts say https://www.reuters.com/world/china/images-show-china-building-huge-fusion-research-facility-analysts-say-2025-01-28/ Private companies aim to demonstrate working fusion reactors in 2025 https://www.science.org/content/article/private-companies-aim-demonstrate-working-fusion-reactors-2025