{
  "id": 10469076,
  "title": "Commonwealth Fusion Systems’ Brandon Sorbom and Helion’s David Kirtley on bringing fusion to the grid at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/commonwealth-fusion-systems-brandon-sorbom-and-helions-david-kirtley",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-28T15:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TechCrunch",
    "slug": "techcrunch",
    "url": "https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/28/commonwealth-fusion-systems-brandon-sorbom-and-helions-david-kirtley-on-bringing-fusion-to-the-grid-at-techcrunch-disrupt-2026/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "At TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, industry leaders Brandon Sorbom and David Kirtley will discuss the progress of bringing fusion power to the grid. Sorbom, co-founder and chief science officer of Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), will lead a discussion on the company's SPARC fusion demonstration machine and its pathway to commercial ARC power plant. CFS recently secured a $1 billion investment, bringing total funding to $4 billion, and has applied to PJM Interconnection to connect to the grid. Kirtley, founder and CEO of Helion Energy, will share updates on their 50-megawatt Orion fusion power plant, intended to power Microsoft beginning in 2028. Helion achieved a significant regulatory milestone in June and recently closed a $500 million Series G funding round. Both companies are addressing the transition from scientific milestones to commercial power generation, presenting a unique opportunity for founders, investors, and technology leaders to learn about the challenges and advancements in commercial fusion energy.",
  "summary": "CFS' Brandon Sorbom and Helion's David Kirtley join the Smart Systems Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 to discuss the breakthroughs moving fusion forward, the challenges that remain, and what it will take to deliver fusion power to the grid at scale. Get your pass at regular price and get a second one at 50% off.",
  "key_points": [
    "Brandon Sorbom discusses CFS SPARC fusion machine and ARC power plant pathway",
    "Helion Energy's Orion plant to power Microsoft starting 2028",
    "Both companies aim to transition fusion from labs to commercial grid"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}