Zeno Power Raises $50M to Fuel the Future of Nuclear Batteries

Zeno Power, a nuclear innovation startup redefining energy delivery in the most extreme environments, has raised a $50 million Series B funding round to accelerate the development and deployment of its advanced radioisotope power systems (RPS)—commonly referred to as nuclear batteries.

The round was led by Hanaco Ventures, with participation from Seraphim, Balerion Space Ventures, JAWS, Vanderbilt University, RiverPark Ventures, Stage 1 Ventures, 7i Capital, and Beyond Earth Ventures.

This latest raise brings Zeno’s total capital raised to over $70 million, following a Series A in 2022 led by Tribe Capital.

The company is scaling fast and plans to expand its team to over 100 employees across its dual headquarters in Seattle, WA and Washington, DC, while investing in manufacturing capabilities to meet growing demand in both commercial and national security markets.

What is Zeno Power?

Founded in 2018, Zeno Power is the market leader in nuclear batteries designed to provide reliable, long-duration energy in frontier environments where traditional power sources—like solar, chemical batteries, or fuel cells—fall short.

Their mission is simple yet profound: to power the unreachable—from the deepest ocean floors to the farthest lunar missions.

Zeno’s core innovation lies in radioisotope power systems that convert heat from the natural decay of radioactive isotopes into usable electricity.

These compact generators offer years of persistent energy and are particularly suited for remote or hazardous environments where maintenance is impossible and energy access is limited or nonexistent.

Strategic Momentum: Contracts and Partnerships

Zeno Power has already demonstrated traction in the defense and aerospace sectors. The company has secured over $60 million in contracts from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and NASA for applications including:

• Seabed infrastructure for persistent naval operations
• Highly maneuverable satellites for the U.S. Space Force
• Lunar landers and rovers for extended surface missions

Recent milestones include:

• A $7.5M contract from the U.S. Navy to develop seabed-deployable nuclear batteries.
• A NASA Tipping Point award to power future lunar missions.
• A partnership with Westinghouse Electric Company to fabricate nuclear heat sources.
• Securing Strontium-90 fuel supply from the U.S. Department of Energy to build its first 10+ systems.
• A demonstration of its first nuclear prototype at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in 2023.

Targeting Frontier Markets: Space and Ocean Infrastructure

Zeno’s nuclear batteries are designed to operate where solar and chemical batteries fail. Their technology is ideal for:

• Lunar missions that must survive the harsh, two-week-long lunar night
• Seabed sensors and telecommunications cables, critical for underwater infrastructure security
• Space-based systems that require uninterrupted power over multi-year missions
  

“With great power competition rising, the ocean floor, Arctic, and lunar surface are becoming the front lines of global security and economic progress – but they remain energy deserts.”

What Makes Zeno's Nuclear Batteries Unique?

🔋 Scalable Power

Each system can produce 10s to 100s of watts, scalable to the needs of a mission.

🔁 Sustainable Fuel Supply

Zeno repurposes nuclear waste products like Strontium-90 and Americium-241 as fuel—turning legacy waste into future energy.

🌐 Operational Reliability

Delivers years of maintenance-free power in hostile or remote locations.

💡 Innovative Design

Zeno’s compact, cost-effective systems use a Stirling engine or thermoelectric conversion to harness heat from radioactive decay.