Thorizon Secures €20M to Advance Molten Salt Reactor Development
• New capital brings the total funding to date in deep-tech company Thorizon to €42.5M. • Franco-Dutch Thorizon now seeks additional investors to build first molten salt reactor in Europe. • The €20M will fund prototyping, licensing and demonstration of Thorizon One’s cartridge fuel system, a game-changer towards molten salt reactor industrialization.
AMSTERDAM (12 March 2025) – Deep-tech startup Thorizon, pioneering molten salt reactor technology, has secured €20 million in funding to accelerate the development of its advanced small modular reactor, Thorizon One. This includes €16 million as the first tranche of its Series A round, led by the Dutch National Promotional Institution, Invest-NL, backed by an InvestEU guarantee from the European Commission for the research part, with strong backing from Positron Ventures, PDENH, and Impuls Zeeland. All of Thorizon’s existing shareholders have reinforced their commitment in this investment round.
Thorizon recently secured an additional €4 million grant from the Dutch Province of Noord-Brabant in consortium with VDL Groep and Demcon. The recent investments follow an earlier €10 million grant from the France 2030 Innovative Reactor Program of the French government in 2024. In total, including its first equity round, Thorizon has raised €42.5 million to drive the commercialization of its innovative reactor technology.
This funding milestone brings Thorizon halfway to its Series A target, with a focus on attracting European investors to strengthen Europe’s energy security and leadership in nuclear innovation. The capital will drive the prototyping and demonstration of Thorizon One’s groundbreaking "cartridge" fuel system, designed to safely and cost-effectively generate power by recycling nuclear waste. Additionally, Thorizon will finalize the reactor’s basic design, advance licensing, and prototype key components as it progresses toward starting construction in 2030.
“With strong support from our investors and government partners, we are in a solid position to advance the development of Thorizon One," said Kiki Lauwers, CEO of Thorizon. "Our mission is to drive nuclear innovation in Europe—enhancing energy security while reducing carbon emissions and burning long-lived nuclear waste. We welcome new strategic partners to join us in making Europe’s first molten salt reactor a reality."
"We are excited to support Thorizon as it enters the next phase, building and testing the first non-nuclear cartridges for its modular molten salt reactor," said Reda Atibi, Senior Investment Manager at Invest-NL. "Since our initial investment in 2022, the team has grown, strengthened its expertise, and made significant technological strides. Collaboration with Dutch and French regulators has intensified, and key partnerships have been formed to accelerate development. These achievements have reinforced our confidence in Thorizon, leading us to spearhead this investment round. We believe this step supports a scalable, zero-carbon energy solution essential for Europe's energy independence."
With this funding, Thorizon is advancing the development of the Thorizon One, a next-generation reactor that overcomes all traditional reservations against nuclear energy. The Thorizon One is engineered to deliver carbon-free energy while repurposing long-lived nuclear waste as fuel. Its modular design and innovative cartridge-based fuel system provide a scalable pathway to a circular nuclear economy. By harnessing molten salt technology, Thorizon is developing reactors that are inherently safe, cost-efficient, and faster to deploy than conventional nuclear plants—offering a practical solution to Europe’s clean energy transition.
Thorizon has laid a strong foundation for advancing its molten salt reactor technology, securing funding through equity and grants while building a team of 50 engineers across Amsterdam and Lyon. It has forged key partnerships with Orano for fuel development, Tractebel for engineering, and VDL Groep for prototyping, while collaborating with EPZ for early operator input, and with EDF on R&D. Dutch and French nuclear regulators have initiated a joint preparatory review of the Thorizon One design, and the company is conducting pre-feasibility studies at three nuclear-designated sites in France and the Benelux, targeting construction by 2030.
Thorizon is engaging with new strategic investors to expand its European operations. With backing from the France 2030 program, endorsements from the EU Industrial Alliance on small modular reactors (SMRs), and commitments from Invest-NL and other key shareholders, Thorizon is positioned as a frontrunner in Europe’s nuclear innovation landscape. The company welcomes long-term partners to help drive the next phase of development and strengthen Europe’s clean energy future.
For further press information or to arrange an interview with Thorizon, please contact:
Lizzie Blythe, thorizon@ederalab.com, +44 (0)7928 592 107
About Thorizon
Thorizon, originally a spin-off from NRG, is now an ambitious deep-tech startup with offices in Amsterdam and Lyon. The company sees small modular nuclear reactors as an ideal, stable, and clean complement to an energy system increasingly reliant on wind and solar power. Thorizon is developing a "walk-away safe" molten salt reactor that uses long-lived nuclear waste as fuel, taking a step toward circularity. The company is working on reactor design and system prototypes, with plans to begin constructing its first reactor, Thorizon One, around 2030. Thorizon collaborates with industry leaders such as Orano, Tractebel, VDL Groep, and EDF, and its project has been selected by the European Commission and the French government under the France 2030 investment plan.
About Invest-NL
Invest-NL is the Dutch National Promotional Institution with a principal focus on providing financial solutions to businesses and projects that have a positive impact on society but face difficulties in securing financing from traditional sources. Our goal is to support the development of pioneering technologies, green initiatives, and social enterprises that contribute to the Netherlands' leadership in sustainability and innovation. These include transitioning to a carbon-neutral and circular economy, ensuring affordable and accessible healthcare, and stimulating technological innovations through our Deep Tech Fund.
About PDENH
The Participatiefonds Duurzame Economie Noord-Holland (PDENH) is a fund established by the Province of Noord-Holland that invests in innovative companies and projects contributing to the region’s sustainable economy. With a fund size of €85 million, PDENH focuses on the energy transition, circular economy, and sustainable mobility. Founded in 2014, the fund has since provided growth capital to dozens of startups, SMEs, and sustainable energy projects, prioritizing both financial and societal impact. PDENH is a closed-end fund, managed by ROM InWest, and collaborates with other funds and investors to accelerate sustainable innovation.
About Positron Ventures
Positron Ventures is a pre-seed fund that helps and funds Europe-based scientist-entrepreneurs who are pursuing moonshots for (planetary) health. Positron invests in scientist-entrepreneurs working on a breakthrough in their field, across the natural sciences. The fund backs teams from day one in their pursuit of solving a major global challenge and, wherever needed, support across all aspects of building a company.
About Impuls Zeeland
Impuls Zeeland helps entrepreneurs transform their ideas into future-proof innovations. We do this through funding, guidance, and developing programmes and projects. We also assist businesses in Zeeland with international ambitions, and help companies establish themselves and expand in Zeeland. Our aim: a more sustainable and more robust economy for Zeeland.