Starlight Engine Secures $37.4 Million to Propel Fusion Energy Initiatives
Starlight Engine, a company focused on solving energy challenges through the practical application of fusion energy, has announced a successful funding round of $37.4 million. The investment round, which took place on July 15, 2026, was led by Global Brain with participation from a diverse group of investors.
Investors and Leadership
The funding round saw participation from renowned investors including Mitsui Fudosan, KDDI Open Innovation Fund V, Tokyu Construction, Fukoku Mutual Life Insurance, Sony Financial Ventures, and others. Key players such as AV (formerly Airbus Ventures), Kyoto University Innovation Capital, Keio Innovation Initiative, Kansai Electric Power Group’s K4V Vital Platform Fund, Daiwa Corporate Investment, Fujikura, Furukawa Electric, Mizuho Bank, Mitsubishi Estate’s BRICKS FUND TOKYO, and MUFG Bank also contributed.
The company, founded by Kiyoshi Seko, is focused on moving fusion technology beyond the research phase to develop practical power plants capable of generating electricity.
Strategic Use of Funds
The $37.4 million investment is earmarked for several critical areas. Starlight Engine plans to accelerate its engineering design and technology development for the Fusion by Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (FAST) project. This initiative aims to demonstrate fusion power generation capabilities during the 2030s.
Funds will also support research and development efforts, site selection for plants, regulatory compliance, and the development of supply chains and strategic partnerships. Additionally, the company plans to expand its workforce significantly, with a target of reaching approximately 200 employees over the next two years as it progresses toward plant construction.
The FAST Project
The FAST project is a privately-led initiative in Japan that focuses on an advanced superconducting tokamak. This device uses powerful magnetic fields to confine extremely hot plasma within a doughnut-shaped chamber, a configuration extensively studied for achieving controlled nuclear fusion. Fusion, the process that powers the sun, has the potential to produce large amounts of electricity without the carbon emissions associated with fossil fuels.
Starlight Engine was established in April 2025 as a group company of Kyoto Fusioneering, with the ambition to bring fusion energy from concept to reality, paving the way for a sustainable energy future.