Radiant

Doug Bernauer spent approximately 12 years at SpaceX starting around 2007-2008, where he contributed to avionics and R&D projects including leadership roles on the Grasshopper reusable rocket prototype and initiatives connected to Hyperloop and the Boring Company. He holds a degree from Case Western Reserve University and has an electrical engineering background, with early professional experience in automation before joining the space sector. His extensive experience in high-stakes engineering execution and testing at SpaceX directly informed his decision to found Radiant to apply similar principles to portable nuclear power.

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Bob Urberger previously worked as a Flight Software Engineer at SpaceX for over six years, focusing on embedded software, flight software, FPGA engineering, and related systems. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering from Saint Louis University. After departing Radiant in early 2025, he has served as a Venture Partner at Cyrus Ventures.

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Prior to joining Radiant, Tori Shivanandan served as a senior leader at McMaster-Carr, one of America’s largest engineering supply companies, with deep expertise in operations and supply chain management. She previously founded and led Baggio Consulting, LLC as CEO and owner, worked as an operations consultant at Happy Returns (later acquired by PayPal), and was a founding member of Eluma, building a track record in scaling operations for growth-oriented companies across tech and industrial sectors.

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Dr. Rita Baranwal most recently served as Senior Vice President of Westinghouse’s AP300 Small Modular Reactor program and previously as Chief Technology Officer at Westinghouse, where she led innovation, R&D, and advanced reactor technologies across the company’s global nuclear portfolio. She also served as Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy from 2019 to 2021, overseeing national nuclear technology research, development, and deployment. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Materials Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in Materials Engineering from the University of Michigan.

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Dr. Mike Starrett earned his Ph.D. from Oregon State University, specializing in system modeling and advanced controls. He brings more than a decade of experience leading commercial strategy, business development, and technical management in the energy and renewables sectors, including prior roles as Chief Commercial Officer for North America and various technical manager and department head positions focused on commercialization and technical leadership.

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Ale Palma has held key finance leadership positions in high-growth technology companies, including Vice President of Corporate Finance and Investor Relations at PsiQuantum and CFO or CFO/COO roles at fintech startup Toqio and legal tech company Legl. He earned a Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics from Sapienza University of Rome and brings expertise in financial strategy, investor relations, partnerships, and scaling operations for deep tech and innovative startups.

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Kaleidos is Radiant’s flagship portable nuclear microreactor, a high-temperature gas-cooled design using TRISO fuel and helium coolant that delivers approximately 1 MW of electric power (with 1.9 MW thermal output for heating or desalination) in a fully containerized package transportable by truck or aircraft. The system requires no on-site water, relies on passive air cooling and natural convection for safety, and supports efficient operation across a wide power range to enable resilient microgrids or backup power. Factory-assembled, fueled, and tested prior to delivery, each unit achieves full power shortly after arrival and operates for five or more years before factory refueling, supporting a total product lifetime of up to 20 years across four fuel cycles. As of June 2026, Radiant is advancing toward a fueled, full-power demonstration test of its commercial unit design at Idaho National Laboratory’s DOME facility in summer 2026—the first new U.S. reactor design tested there in nearly 50 years—with construction of its R-50 mass-production factory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, slated to begin in early 2026 and initial customer deployments targeted for 2028. Traction includes a preorder agreement with deposits from Equinix for 20 units announced in August 2025 and progression of the first agreement for mass-manufactured microreactors on a U.S. military base, initially signed in 2025 with the Defense Innovation Unit and Department of the Air Force for delivery by 2028, with specific selection in April 2026 for deployment at Buckley Space Force Base; units are offered via direct sales or power purchase agreements alongside centralized 24/7 fleet monitoring.

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Westinghouse develops the eVinci microreactor, a transportable, factory-assembled unit designed for decentralized remote power applications including military installations, data centers, mining, and industrial sites. It directly overlaps with Radiant through similar scale (up to 5 MWe), containerized transportability, TRISO fuel, DOE-supported testing at Idaho National Laboratory, and targeting of diesel-replacement use cases in austere environments. The design leverages decades of Westinghouse nuclear engineering experience combined with heat-pipe cooling for simplified passive safety and minimal maintenance. Structural strengths include an established supply chain, regulatory familiarity from legacy operations, and broad application flexibility across power and process heat. Constraints relative to pure-play microreactor startups include potentially slower agility in mass-production scaling and higher overhead from a large corporate structure. Traction includes selection for U.S. Air Force base deployments under ANPI programs and parallel DOE microreactor demonstration pathways. Durable positioning rests on heat-pipe technology maturity and integration with existing nuclear fuel ecosystems rather than snapshot deployment timelines.

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Antares Nuclear focuses on factory-produced fission microreactors optimized for defense-critical and remote applications on Earth, in space, and underwater, with the R1 design targeting 100 kWe to 1 MWe output for multi-year operation without refueling. It competes directly with Radiant via emphasis on rapid deployability, military base use cases under the same DOD ANPI program, TRISO or similar robust fuels, and factory manufacturing for transportable units. The approach prioritizes passive sodium heat-pipe cooling and automated controls suited to austere environments. Durable strengths include specialized focus on mission-critical resilience and vertical integration in manufacturing. Limitations may stem from narrower initial market concentration on defense versus broader commercial data-center ambitions. Traction encompasses Air Force base selections under ANPI and progress in DOE-supported demonstration pathways. Structural advantages arise from purpose-built modularity for strategic energy needs that align closely with portable microreactor economics in high-value niches.

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Aalo Atomics develops mass-manufacturable modular nuclear plants and microreactor pods, such as the Aalo-1 sodium-cooled units, purpose-built primarily for data centers and high-demand commercial applications with factory fabrication enabling rapid deployment. Overlap with Radiant centers on factory-centric production models, targeting of data-center customers, and modular scalability for clean baseload power. The sodium-cooled, low-pressure design supports high energy density and passive safety features. Structural strengths include aggressive focus on cost predictability through modularity and economies of numbers, plus DOE site access at Idaho National Lab for testing. Potential constraints involve a technology choice (sodium) that differs from gas-cooled approaches and a pod-scale emphasis versus single-unit portability. Traction features substantial recent funding rounds, pilot factory progress, and advancement toward demonstration milestones. Durable positioning derives from engineering emphasis on manufacturability and regulatory streamlining via test data leverage rather than legacy scale.

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NANO Nuclear Energy develops portable advanced microreactors including the ZEUS solid-core battery design, engineered as a sealed, shipping-container-compatible unit for remote terrestrial and specialized applications with long operational life. It overlaps Radiant through explicit portability focus, containerized form factors, remote power replacement potential, and micro-scale output suited to off-grid or mobile needs. The solid-core approach eliminates traditional coolant loops for inherent simplicity and safety. Durable strengths encompass vertical integration ambitions across fuel fabrication and transport alongside a public listing providing capital access. Weaknesses relative to peers may include less mature demonstration progress compared to DOE-selected peers and broader portfolio dilution across stationary and space variants. Traction includes non-nuclear core testing milestones and patent activity protecting proprietary designs. Structural positioning rests on the sealed-core battery concept enabling transportability advantages in markets valuing minimal infrastructure.

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Oklo develops advanced fission powerhouses under the Aurora line, including microreactor configurations for data centers, industrial sites, communities, and defense facilities with modular, factory-influenced designs and long refueling intervals. Direct competition arises from shared military microreactor pilots under ANPI eligibility, data-center power applications, and emphasis on clean reliable baseload via fast-reactor technology. The approach benefits from fuel recycling heritage and inherent safety characteristics of metal-fueled fast designs. Structural strengths include specific DOD microreactor program eligibility, INL site progress, and a growing pipeline of offtake interest. Constraints may include evolution toward larger scales that reduce pure micro-portability emphasis compared to containerized units. Traction encompasses environmental reviews cleared and pilot project advancements. Durable advantages stem from fast-reactor experience and vertical integration potential in fuel supporting long-term ecosystem positioning.

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Radiant’s refueling model requires shipping depleted Kaleidos units back to the factory for temporary above-ground spent fuel storage and refueling after five or more years of operation, creating direct exposure to state-level nuclear waste regulations that forced rejection of a planned Wyoming manufacturing site in October 2025 because Wyoming law limits spent fuel storage to operating reactor sites only and legislative efforts to accommodate manufacturers were tabled. This regulatory uncertainty prompted selection of the Oak Ridge, Tennessee R-50 factory site on a Manhattan Project location instead, with construction targeted to begin in early 2026 and first production by 2028. The NRC accepted Radiant’s 10 CFR Part 70 license application for the facility in May 2026 and launched an expedited review aiming for completion within eight months by December 2026, yet the Kaleidos design remains in pre-application engagement with the NRC since October 2022 and full commercial reactor licensing carries ongoing timeline uncertainty that could delay targeted initial customer deployments. Any further permitting friction at the state or federal level for fuel handling or facility operations would directly impact the ability to achieve mass production scale of up to 50 units per year. Tennessee’s selection provides greater immediate regulatory certainty and leverages existing nuclear workforce expertise, while ongoing DOE pilot program participation and expedited NRC processes offer partial acceleration for the facility license specifically.

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Radiant plans a fueled demonstration of its Kaleidos microreactor at Idaho National Laboratory’s DOME facility in summer 2026, positioned as the first new U.S. commercial reactor design to achieve fueled testing in over 50 years following DOE approvals including the Preliminary Documented Safety Analysis. Successful completion is a prerequisite for validating the design ahead of factory production ramp-up and honoring customer agreements such as the Equinix preorder for 20 units and the DIU/Air Force agreement targeting military base deployment by 2028. The company has begun reactor assembly with delivery of key components including the pressure vessel and nuclear-grade graphite, secured HALEU feedstock for the test via DOE contract, and met prior non-fueled milestones on or ahead of schedule. Technical challenges, safety findings, or schedule slips during this high-stakes integrated test at a national lab facility would cascade into delays for commercial licensing, factory operations, and revenue generation in a capital-intensive development program. Prior DOE and NRC pre-application progress plus selection for the Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program provide structured support, but the novelty of the test pathway for this design class leaves limited precedent for contingency execution.

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Kaleidos relies on high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) TRISO fuel to achieve its compact portable design and multi-year refueling cycle, with Radiant securing DOE allocation and the first binding commercial HALEU enrichment contract with Urenco plus partnerships with Centrus Energy and Uranium Energy Corp for near-term needs including the 2026 test. Scaling to the R-50 factory’s long-term target of 50 reactors per year would require substantial expansion of domestic commercial HALEU production and TRISO fabrication capacity that currently remains constrained industry-wide despite government programs. The company has positioned itself with early contracts and feedstock receipts sufficient for the demonstration core, yet broader supply infrastructure buildout depends on third-party investments and policy support that introduce external execution variables. Partnerships with established fuel suppliers mitigate short-term test and early production risks, while the overall U.S. push for advanced reactor fuel independence provides tailwinds, but any shortfall in HALEU availability at commercial volumes would constrain production ramp and contract fulfillment.

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Doug Bernauer, co-founder and CEO with a background of 12 years at SpaceX applying rapid hardware iteration principles, has led Radiant since its 2020 founding and shaped its transparent “anti-stealth” development approach, test-first strategy, and progress toward the 2026 DOME test and 2028 deployments. As a still-growing company with roughly 100-200 employees, Radiant’s ability to navigate complex nuclear regulatory, technical, and manufacturing challenges remains closely tied to Bernauer’s leadership and vision for mass-produced portable reactors. Recent additions to the leadership team, including Chief Nuclear Officer Dr. Rita Baranwal (former Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy), provide expanded expertise in regulatory and nuclear operations domains. Sustained execution momentum through factory construction, test completion, and initial commercial deliveries would benefit from this broadening bench, yet the founder’s central role in investor confidence, milestone delivery, and strategic decisions creates structural key-person exposure typical of early-stage deep-tech ventures in highly regulated fields.

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Nuclear community members on Reddit frequently question whether Radiant can realistically achieve a fueled test at INL's DOME facility in 2026 and initial commercial deliveries by 2028. Commenters cite the lack of prior NRC licensing for helium-cooled HTGR designs, challenges with HALEU fuel fabrication and supply, and the typical length of regulatory reviews as reasons for doubt, viewing the targets as optimistic or primarily investor-facing. Recent discussions highlight Radiant's apparent lower odds or withdrawal from the DOE Reactor Pilot Program targeting July 2026 criticality per prediction markets and insider sentiment, with some noting slippage as likely despite pre-application progress. A minority view acknowledges potential for accelerated DOE pathways in military or pilot contexts but still sees delays probable.

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Independent voices in nuclear-focused discussions express concerns about core claims like fitting a functional 1 MW helium-cooled TRISO reactor with adequate shielding into a standard shipping container for easy transport. Specific issues raised include radiation shielding adequacy for personnel safety and maintenance access, integration of power conversion and cooling systems without excessive self-consumption or inefficiencies, and overall realism of the compact HTGR configuration given historical precedents. Some label aspects as conceptually flawed or unproven at this scale, though others note TRISO's inherent safety features as a mitigating factor.

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r/nuclear participants debate the commercial sense of 1 MW units, noting high fuel cost fractions at micro scales, elevated generation costs compared to diesel or renewables-plus-storage in many scenarios, and an overcrowded microreactor field where only specialized use cases (e.g., military bases to reduce fuel convoy risks, remote off-grid sites, or data center backups) may justify premiums. Broader grid or industrial applications are seen as unlikely without major cost reductions or demonstrated performance. Positive notes exist on military interest due to logistics and security benefits, but overall consensus leans toward niche rather than mass-market potential.

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While tempered by caveats, some community members and observers acknowledge Radiant's advancements compared to peers, including substantial venture funding (hundreds of millions), contracts or agreements with the USAF/DIU and mentions of Equinix interest, hiring of experienced nuclear leadership, factory planning in Oak Ridge/Tennessee, and progress through DOE and NRC pre-application processes including PDSA approvals. This positions the company as further along in hardware development and government engagement than many microreactor startups, though execution risks and timeline questions remain the focus of discussion.

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