This $470mn nuclear startup is racing a presidential deadline, not the AI boom

https://media.thenextweb.com/2026/07/antaresindustries-team.avif

Most of the money pouring into small nuclear reactors is chasing AI data centres. This round is chasing a date.

Antares has raised $470mn, co-led by Paradigm and Caffeinated Capital, with Point72 Ventures, Shine Capital and Industrious Ventures joining. The split is $370mn of equity and $100mn of debt, Bloomberg reported.

The company was founded in 2023 and has now raised more than $600mn. It wants reactors on US military installations by 2028.

The deadline doing the work

Executive Order 14299 directs the Department of War to have a reactor operating at a domestic military installation by 30 September 2028.

That is the clock. Antares has firm contracts, a named site and a fixed date, which is an unusual position for a nuclear company of any size.

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