Kairos Power
Kairos Power is a private nuclear technology company developing the KP-FHR advanced reactor (TRISO fuel and Flibe molten salt coolant), targeting hyperscale technology firms, utilities, and the U.S. Department of Defense through long-term power purchase agreements, with vertically integrated operations in California, New Mexico, and Tennessee.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersAlameda, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Kairos Power does
Kairos Power is a private nuclear technology and engineering company founded in 2016 and headquartered in Alameda, California. The company is developing the KP-FHR (Kairos Power Fluoride Salt-Cooled High-Temperature Reactor), an advanced reactor design that uses TRISO (tristructural isotropic) coated particle fuel combined with Flibe (lithium fluoride and beryllium fluoride) molten salt coolant. The design operates near atmospheric pressure at temperatures exceeding 1,200°F, enabling inherent safety characteristics, simplified engineered containment, and the potential for high thermal efficiency. Kairos Power pursues an iterative, learning-by-building development approach through a series of non-nuclear Engineering Test Units (ETU 1, 2, 3) and is constructing the Hermes low-power demonstration reactor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, which received the first NRC construction permit for a non-water-cooled reactor in the United States in over 50 years.
Kairos Power operates a vertically integrated manufacturing footprint across three U.S. campuses: the Alameda, California headquarters housing the RAPID Lab and Salt Lab; the Manufacturing Development Campus in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which produces TRISO fuel, annular graphite fuel pebbles, Flibe coolant, and modular reactor equipment; and the Reactor Demonstration Campus in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, site of the Hermes demonstration reactor and future commercial-scale Hermes 2 plant. The company has secured a portfolio of strategic technology and supply-chain partnerships, including BWXT for fuel manufacturing, Materion Corporation for Flibe production, Los Alamos National Laboratory for HALEU TRISO pebble fabrication, Ibiden for graphite qualification, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory under a $27 million strategic partnership. Up to $303 million in DOE Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program milestone funding is supporting Hermes risk-reduction activities.
The commercial model centers on long-term Power Purchase Agreements for the sale of electricity, ancillary services, and environmental attributes. The company has signed a Master Plant Development Agreement with Google to deploy 500 MW of advanced nuclear capacity by 2035, with the first 50 MW to be delivered from Hermes 2 to the Tennessee Valley Authority grid by 2030. Additional addressable markets include U.S. utilities and grid operators seeking firm, carbon-free baseload capacity and the U.S. Department of Defense through the Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations (Janus) program for transportable microreactors at military bases. As of the data provided, the company is pre-commercial with no operating power-producing reactor, and revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.
Kairos Power firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kairos Power
- Legal name
- Kairos Power LLC
- Website
- https://kairospower.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Kairos Power is a private nuclear technology company developing the KP-FHR advanced reactor (TRISO fuel and Flibe molten salt coolant), targeting hyperscale technology firms, utilities, and the U.S. Department of Defense through long-term power purchase agreements, with vertically integrated operations in California, New Mexico, and Tennessee.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kairos Power industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Advanced Nuclear Reactors
- NAICS
- Nuclear Electric Power Generation (221113), Electric Power Generation (22111), Turbine and Turbine Generator Set Units Manufacturing (333611), Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211)
- SIC
- Motors & Generators (3621)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Gas-Cooled Reactor (AGR/HTGR) Power Generation (EUACADAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Balance-of-Plant (BOP) EPC (Turbine Island, Conventional Systems, Buildings) (EUAKAAAF), Nuclear Steam Supply System Components & Turbine Islands (IMAHAFAG)
Keywords
Where Kairos Power is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Alameda
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Kairos Power business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Operations
Revenue model
- Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs): Kairos Power develops, constructs, and operates advanced reactor plants and sells energy, ancillary services, and environmental attributes to customers under long-term power purchase agreements. The landmark agreement with Google and TVA involves selling up to 50 MW of electricity from Hermes 2 to the TVA grid, with broader agreement for 500 MW deployment by 2035. Revenue is generated through electricity sales and associated clean energy attributes.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Power Purchase Agreement pricing through TVA grid |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Kairos Power product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kairos Power develops, manufactures, and operates fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactors (KP-FHR) using TRISO coated particle fuel and Flibe molten salt coolant. The company sells electricity, ancillary services, and environmental attributes to enterprise customers and utilities under long-term power purchase agreements, targeting 24/7 carbon-free baseload power for data centers and grid applications.
Product overview
Kairos Power is a nuclear technology company that has developed the KP-FHR (Kairos Power Fluoride Salt-Cooled High-Temperature Reactor) as its core technology platform. The company operates a portfolio of demonstration and testing facilities including the Hermes Low-Power Demonstration Reactor (Hermes 1) and Hermes 2 Demonstration Plant (its first commercial-scale reactor), supported by the Engineering Test Unit (ETU) program for non-nuclear hardware validation. The product ecosystem includes TRISO Development Lab and Pebble Development Lab for fuel manufacturing, the Low-Enriched Fuel Fabrication Facility at Los Alamos for HALEU fuel production, and the Molten Salt Purification Plant for Flibe coolant production. Manufacturing is vertically integrated through the Manufacturing Development Campus in Albuquerque, with demonstration operations at the Reactor Demonstration Campus in Oak Ridge. The company operates from three primary locations: headquarters in Alameda, California (RAPID Lab, Salt Lab, Corporate Offices); Manufacturing Development Campus in Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Reactor Demonstration Campus in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- KP-FHR Fluoride Salt-Cooled High-Temperature Reactor
- Hermes Low-Power Demonstration Reactor
- Hermes 2 Demonstration Plant
- Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) Electricity Supply
Quantifiable outcome
- 500 MW of 24/7 carbon-free power to be deployed by 2035
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Kairos Power
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Kairos Power technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
Kairos Power partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)core$27 million strategic partnership to accelerate advanced nuclear technology development. ORNL provides technical expertise, manufacturing capabilities, and testing facilities to support Hermes demonstration reactors.
- Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)flagshipPower purchase agreement for Hermes 2 to deliver up to 50 MW of clean electricity to TVA grid to power Google data centers. TVA is the first U.S. utility to sign a PPA for advanced Gen IV reactor electricity.
- GoogleflagshipMaster Plant Development Agreement to deploy 500 MW of advanced nuclear capacity by 2035, with first deployment by 2030. Kairos Power develops, constructs, and operates reactors and sells energy, ancillary services, and environmental attributes to Google under PPAs.
- Los Alamos National LaboratorycoreAgreement to produce TRISO fuel pebbles for Hermes at Los Alamos' Low Enriched Fuel Fabrication Facility (LEFFF). First customer for the facility, which is undergoing renovation for HALEU fuel production.
- Materion CorporationcoreCooperative Development Agreement to commission Molten Salt Purification Plant in Elmore, Ohio. Plant produces Flibe molten salt coolant for KP-FHR reactors - the first plant ever built to produce Flibe at industrial scale.
- BWXTcoreCollaboration on TRISO fuel manufacturing optimization and automation. BWXT brings over 20 years of operational experience in nuclear fuel manufacturing to optimize Kairos Power's processes at the TRISO Development Lab.
- Barnard Construction CompanycoreGeneral contractor for Hermes reactor projects and ETU 3.0 civil construction. Heavy-civil construction company with expertise in complex infrastructure projects.
- U.S. Department of DefenseminorEligible company for Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations program to develop transportable 1-20 MW microreactors at military bases under Nuclear Dominance 3x33 campaign.
- Ibiden Co. LTDminorStrategic partner for graphite qualification testing. Manufactured ET-10 nuclear-grade graphite specimens for multi-year testing program to characterize graphite for advanced reactor components.
- GERBminorGlobal partner for seismic isolation system testing. Completed prototype testing of seismic springs and dampers at specialized facilities in Italy and Germany.
- NRG PallasminorPartnership for irradiation experiments to study graphite and steel component performance over reactor core lifetime. Conducting ET-10 irradiation creep tests.
- Cambridge Vacuum Engineering (CVE) and University of Sheffield AMRCminorPartnership for ETU 3 reactor vessel fabrication using cutting-edge electron beam welding (EBW) technology. EBW produces high-quality welds faster than conventional arc welding.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Kairos Power competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Holtec International: Nuclear technology and equipment company developing the SMR-160 small modular reactor. Comparable as an established nuclear technology company with SMR commercialization plans targeting utility customers.
- BWX Technologies (BWXT): Established nuclear components and fuel manufacturer with over 20 years of operational experience in TRISO fuel. Comparable as a TRISO fuel partner and broader nuclear supply chain incumbent working across multiple advanced reactor programs.
- Westinghouse Electric Company: Major incumbent nuclear reactor designer and fuel manufacturer with the AP1000 and eVinci microreactor programs. Comparable as a commercial nuclear company pursuing advanced reactor designs and serving utility customers.
Others
- Materion Corporation: Advanced materials manufacturer partnering with Kairos Power to operate the Molten Salt Purification Plant in Elmore, Ohio. Comparable as a key supplier enabling Flibe coolant production for KP-FHR reactors.
Regional players
- Rolls-Royce SMR: UK-based SMR developer pursuing deployment primarily in the United Kingdom and European markets. Comparable as an SMR company pursuing commercial deployment, though focused on different geographic markets.
Direct peers
- TerraPower: Bill Gates-backed advanced nuclear developer building the Natrium sodium-cooled fast reactor with demonstration plans in Wyoming. Directly comparable as a Gen IV reactor company pursuing commercial deployment with hyperscaler-aligned strategy and significant DOE funding.
- X-energy: Developer of the Xe-100 high-temperature gas-cooled reactor using TRISO fuel. Directly comparable as a Gen IV SMR company with DOE ARDP funding targeting commercial deployment for both industrial and data center customers.
- NuScale Power: Public SMR developer with NRC design certification for the VOYGR small modular reactor. Directly comparable as an advanced nuclear company pursuing commercial deployment with utility and data center customers, though using light-water technology.
- Oklo: Public advanced nuclear company developing compact fast reactors for both commercial and DOD customers. Comparable as a small advanced reactor developer pursuing similar customer segments including hyperscalers and military installations.
Emerging players
- Last Energy: Developer of small modular pressurized water reactors targeting European industrial and data center customers. Comparable as an SMR company pursuing commercial deployment with a focus on private off-take arrangements.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kairos Power social profiles
Digital presenceKairos Power compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Kairos Power financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kairos Power leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Kairos Power funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kairos Power M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kairos Power
What does Kairos Power do?
Kairos Power develops, manufactures, and operates fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactors (KP-FHR) using TRISO coated particle fuel and Flibe molten salt coolant. The company sells electricity, ancillary services, and environmental attributes to enterprise customers and utilities under long-term power purchase agreements, targeting 24/7 carbon-free baseload power for data centers and grid applications.
Is Kairos Power a public or private company?
Kairos Power is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Kairos Power founded?
Kairos Power was founded in 2016. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Kairos Power based?
Kairos Power is headquartered in Alameda, United States, in the North America region.
How does Kairos Power make money?
One revenue line is on record: power Purchase Agreements (PPAs).
Who are Kairos Power's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Holtec International, BWX Technologies (BWXT) and Westinghouse Electric Company. Materion Corporation is listed as an others. Rolls-Royce SMR is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are TerraPower, X-energy, NuScale Power and Oklo. Last Energy is listed as an emerging player.
Does Kairos Power have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kairos Power.
What industry is Kairos Power in?
Kairos Power's product category is Advanced Nuclear Reactors. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUACADAD, Gas-Cooled Reactor (AGR/HTGR) Power Generation, with a secondary code of EUAKAAAF, Balance-of-Plant (BOP) EPC (Turbine Island, Conventional Systems, Buildings). Its NAICS code is 221113 and its SIC code is 3621.