Nuclear startup Valor Atomics raises $130 million

Advanced nuclear reactor developer Valar Atomics has raised $130 million in its latest funding round, backed by Anduril Industries founder Palmer Lackey. Palantir Shyam Sankar, the company’s chief technology officer, said on Monday.

The funding was led by venture capital firms Snowpoint Ventures, Day One Ventures, and Dream Ventures. lockheed martin Directors and former officers AT&T Executive John Donovan also attended. Valar’s total funding now exceeds $150 million, according to the company.

Doug Filippone, co-founder of Snowpoint and former global defense chief at Palantir, will also join Valar’s board of directors.

Valar is one of several nuclear startups hoping to benefit from President Trump’s push to introduce new nuclear reactor technology in the United States by reducing regulations and speeding approvals.

Valar, based outside Los Angeles, is one of several nuclear reactor developers suing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission over the approval process for small reactor designs. The parties to the lawsuit are seeking a settlement with the NRC in response to President Trump’s executive order overhauling the regulatory agency. The case has been temporarily suspended due to the government shutdown.

pilot program

In August, the Department of Energy selected Valard and other developers to participate in a pilot program that aims to field at least three advanced test reactors by July 2026.

Valor says it is developing reactor technology that uses helium as a coolant and operates at much higher temperatures than conventional plants. Its business plan calls for deploying hundreds of small nuclear reactors at a single site.

Valar broke ground on the test reactor in September at the Utah San Rafael Energy Institute, a division of the Utah Energy Development Authority.