What Hexium does

Hexium is an Austin-based, privately held isotope enrichment company founded in 2023 that is commercializing a modernized version of Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation (AVLIS) — a laser-based enrichment technology originally de-risked by the U.S. Department of Energy with over $2B in prior investment for uranium enrichment. Its core product is reactor-grade lithium-6, a critical fuel component for fusion reactors and advanced fission technologies, produced through a three-step process: laser-driven selective ionization of target isotopes in a vaporized metal stream, electric-field sorting of ionized isotopes, and purified collection into industrial-ready output streams. Hexium's platform architecture eliminates centrifuges and chemical separation agents, produces no hazardous waste, and is positioned as a small-footprint, single-pass alternative to incumbent enrichment methods.

Hexium generates revenue by selling enriched lithium-6 isotopes to enterprise customers in the nuclear energy and fusion technology sectors under a hardware sales model, with plans to extend the AVLIS platform to other globally bottlenecked isotopes serving clean energy, nuclear medicine, and advanced industrial applications. The company is currently in pilot-plant buildout, having emerged from stealth in April 2025 with approximately $9.5M–$12M in seed funding from investors including Humba Ventures, followed by additional capital through mid-2025. A strategic collaboration with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), backed by a U.S. Department of Energy Technology Commercialization Fund award announced in April 2026, anchors its go-to-market as a domestic supplier of critical nuclear fuel materials, with commercial-scale production targeted within three years.

Go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting nuclear reactor operators, fusion developers, and DOE/National Laboratory customers, supplemented by earned media (TechCrunch, Axios, Power Technology, Climate Insider) and research-institution partnerships. Hexium is led by co-founder and CEO Charlie Jarrott and co-founder, COO, and CFO Jacob Peterson, with 11–50 employees and a Delaware-incorporated corporate structure.

Name

Hexium

Legal name

Hexium Inc.

Website

https://hexium.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hexium is an Austin-based private company commercializing modernized Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation (AVLIS) technology to produce reactor-grade lithium-6 and other bottleneck isotopes for fusion developers, advanced nuclear reactor operators, and nuclear medicine buyers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nuclear Isotope Enrichment

NAICS

Irradiation Apparatus Manufacturing (334517), Industrial Gas Manufacturing (32512)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Isotope Production & Supply (Co-60, Ir-192, Cs-137, Am-241, etc.) (EUAKAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Medical Radioisotope Production (Reactor/Cyclotron, Mo-99/Tc-99m, I-131, Lu-177, etc.) (EUAKAIAA), HALEU Production & Supply Chain (Feedstock, Enrichment, Downblending) (EUAKACAH)

Keywords

• Isotope enrichment technology
• Lithium-6 production
• Laser isotope separation
• Nuclear fuel materials
• Fusion fuel supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Lithium-6 Isotope Sales: Hexium plans to generate revenue by producing and selling lithium-6, a critical fuel component for fusion reactors. The company is building pilot-scale production capability to address supply chain issues for fusion fuel.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hexium produces enriched isotopes, starting with lithium-6, using a modernized version of the Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation (AVLIS) technology originally developed by the U.S. Department of Energy. The company is building pilot-scale production capability to supply reactor-grade lithium-6 for fusion reactors, advanced nuclear fission applications, and other isotope-dependent industries, addressing a domestic supply chain gap.

Product overview

Hexium offers a unified technology platform built around Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation (AVLIS), their proprietary laser-based enrichment technology. The core AVLIS system uses laser-driven ionization to selectively target isotopes, electric fields for separation, and purified collection for output. This platform is applied to produce lithium-6 for fusion fuel and nuclear applications. The company is scaling from pilot plant operations toward commercial production, leveraging over $2B in prior DOE investment in AVLIS technology de-risked at pilot scale for uranium enrichment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation (AVLIS) Hexium's proprietary laser-based isotope enrichment technology that selectively ionizes specific isotopes within a vaporized metal stream using precise wavelengths, then separates them via electric fields. Originally developed with over $2B in DOE investment for uranium enrichment, the technology is being modernized by Hexium for industrial-scale production of lithium and other globally bottlenecked isotopes for clean energy, nuclear medicine, and industrial use.
• Lithium-6 Enrichment Reactor-grade enriched lithium-6 produced via AVLIS for use in fusion fuel and advanced nuclear fission reactors. The product targets nuclear energy companies, fusion technology developers, and research institutions needing a domestic supply of lithium isotopes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Single pass production of materials at high purity
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 April 2026LLNL is partnering with Hexium to develop lithium isotope enrichment technology for nuclear fission reactors and fusion fuel. LLNL will adapt its Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation (AVLIS) technology with modern laser systems while Hexium develops the lithium separation system. The collaboration aims to establish sustained domestic production of lithium isotopes, addressing a critical gap in the U.S. supply chain.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Centrus Energy: A publicly traded U.S. supplier of enriched uranium and HALEU for advanced reactors. Centrus is comparable as a domestic enrichment incumbent addressing the same policy-driven national security and advanced reactor fuel priorities that motivate Hexium, and is the most direct U.S. analog working on next-generation enrichment supply.
• Urenco: A global centrifuge-based uranium enrichment company supplying fuel for commercial nuclear power. Urenco is comparable as an established commercial isotope enrichment player and a likely benchmark for production economics, customer relationships, and regulatory positioning in the broader enrichment market Hexium is entering.
• Orano: A French state-backed nuclear fuel cycle company involved in uranium mining, conversion, enrichment, and fuel fabrication. Orano is comparable as a vertically integrated fuel cycle incumbent that Hexium may compete with for advanced reactor and fuel customers in international markets.
• BWX Technologies (BWXT): A U.S. nuclear components and fuel manufacturer with deep relationships across the Department of Energy, national labs, and the U.S. Navy. BWXT is comparable as a domestic nuclear supplier that could move into advanced isotope production and represents a potential partner or competitor for Hexium's customers.

Emerging players

• SHINE Technologies: A fusion-adjacent company developing medical and industrial isotope production using fusion-style neutron drivers. SHINE is comparable as a non-traditional, technology-driven isotope producer pursuing similar medical and industrial isotope end markets that Hexium's AVLIS platform could also serve.
• NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes: A U.S. producer of medical radioisotopes focused on non-uranium-based production methods. NorthStar is comparable as a domestic, alternative-method isotope producer addressing supply chain security and healthcare demand, mirroring the strategic positioning Hexium is pursuing in the industrial isotope space.
• TerraPower: Bill Gates-backed advanced nuclear reactor developer working on sodium fast reactors and traveling wave reactors. TerraPower is a representative advanced reactor customer for Hexium, while also demonstrating the type of vertically integrated nuclear company Hexium could end up partnering with or supplying.
• Commonwealth Fusion Systems: A leading private fusion energy developer building a tokamak-based demonstration plant. CFS is comparable as the type of high-profile fusion customer whose lithium-6 demand profile is core to Hexium's bull case, and a natural potential offtake partner.
• TAE Technologies: A private fusion energy company pursuing a field-reversed configuration approach, with adjacent work on fuel cycle and power conversion technologies. TAE is comparable as another well-funded fusion developer whose fuel procurement needs could overlap with Hexium's addressable market.

Others

• Energy Northwest: A U.S. consortium of public power utilities operating nuclear generation and exploring advanced reactor projects. Energy Northwest is comparable as a representative advanced reactor and clean energy customer base that Hexium's nuclear and fusion segment targeting overlaps with.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors8 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hexium