Defense & Military
Antares Industries Raises $96M Series B to Deploy R1 Microreactor
Antares Industries secures $96 million in Series B funding to advance the R1 microreactor production for defense and space applications by 2028.
This article is based on an official press release from Antares Industries and verified external market data.
Antares Industries, a defense-first nuclear engineering company, announced on December 2, 2025, that it has raised $96 million in Series B funding. The round was led by Shine Capital, with participation from Alt Capital, Caffeinated Capital, FiftyThree Stations, and Industrious. This latest injection of capital brings the company’s total funding to over $130 million, following a $30 million Series A raised in late 2024.
According to the company’s official statement, the funding consists of $71 million in equity and $25 million in debt. The capital is specifically earmarked to transition the company from design to physical production, with a focus on deploying the R1 microreactor. Antares aims to deliver resilient, portable power for defense and space applications, positioning itself as the “engineering prime of strategic energy.”
The core of the Antares value proposition is the R1, a compact microreactor designed to operate autonomously for over three years without refueling. Unlike traditional gigawatt-scale nuclear plants intended for civilian power grids, the R1 is engineered for mobility and resilience in hostile environments.
Based on technical specifications released by the company, the R1 features a power output ranging from 100 kilowatts (kWe) to 1 megawatt (MWe). The system utilizes TRISO (Tristructural Isotropic) particle fuel, which is widely regarded in the industry for its robustness and resistance to meltdowns. The fuel consists of uranium kernels encased in layers of carbon and ceramics, providing a high degree of passive safety.
For cooling, the R1 employs sodium heat pipes. This “solid-state” cooling method eliminates the need for moving pumps, relying instead on passive physics to transfer heat. The system uses a Closed Brayton Cycle, where heated nitrogen gas spins a turbine to generate electricity. This design allows the reactor to be transported via standard logistics networks, including trucks and cargo aircraft, without requiring a water source for cooling.
Antares Industries has outlined an aggressive timeline for hardware validation, leveraging recent shifts in U.S. energy policy. The company plans to conduct a “Mark-0” low-power demonstration at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in 2026. This test is intended to validate reactor physics and control systems.
Following the Mark-0 demo, Antares aims to construct and test the “Mark-1” prototype, a full-power, electricity-producing unit, at the same INL facility in 2027. Commercial deployment of production units is targeted for 2028. A critical component of this accelerated timeline is the company’s utilization of Executive Order 14301, “Reforming Nuclear Reactor Testing at the Department of Energy,” issued in May 2025. This order allows companies to bypass the lengthy traditional Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensing process for initial testing phases, opting instead for expedited Department of Energy (DOE) authorization.
In a statement regarding the company’s operational philosophy, Antares CEO Jordan Bramble emphasized the necessity of speed in the current geopolitical climate.
“This capital allows us to move with the speed and discipline required to deliver something America hasn’t done in a very long time: design, build, and test nuclear reactors within a few years, not decades.”
, Jordan Bramble, CEO of Antares Industries
Antares has adopted a strategy focused on securing government contracts to validate its technology before entering broader commercial markets. The company views the U.S. military as the “first moving customer” for advanced nuclear capabilities due to the strategic risks posed by energy scarcity in conflict zones.
The company is currently competing for the U.S. Army’s Project JANUS, a program designed to deploy microreactors to army bases to ensure energy resilience. Additionally, Antares has secured contracts with the Air Force, Space Force, and the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to power mission-critical assets such as radar systems and directed energy weapons.
Beyond terrestrial defense, Antares is aligning its technology with NASA’s Fission Surface Power goals, which aim to land a 100-kWe reactor on the Moon by 2030 to support long-term lunar operations.
The successful Series B raise by Antares Industries highlights a significant pivot in the nuclear sector: the move from “paper reactors” to hardware-rich development cycles. For decades, the nuclear industry has been stifled by high regulatory hurdles that forced companies to spend years on modeling before breaking ground. The utilization of Executive Order 14301 suggests that the U.S. government is actively clearing these hurdles to treat energy independence as a national security imperative.
Furthermore, the involvement of Shine Capital and other venture firms signals a growing investor appetite for “deep tech” hardware that serves dual-use purposes (defense and commercial). By targeting the Department of Defense as an anchor customer, Antares mitigates the market risk typically associated with advanced energy startups, securing revenue streams while the commercial regulatory landscape catches up.
Antares Industries Secures $96 Million Series B to Accelerate Microreactor Deployment
The R1 Microreactor: Technology and Design
Strategic Timeline and Regulatory Pathway
Leveraging Executive Order 14301
Defense-First Market Strategy
AirPro News Analysis
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
Photo Credit: Antares Industries