Antares Nuclear Secures $470M for Military Microreactors

A California-based nuclear startup has secured $470 million in new funding to develop small reactors for U.S. military bases, marking a significant bet on advanced nuclear technology for defense infrastructure. Antares Nuclear announced the Series C financing round on Monday, July 27, 2026, which consists of $370 million in equity and $100 million in debt. The investment was co-led by venture capital firms Paradigm and Caffeinated Capital, with participation from Point72 Ventures, Shine Capital, and Industrious Ventures.

The funding will support the company's plan to deploy its microreactors, which produce between 100 kilowatts and 1 megawatt of electricity, at domestic military installations. The company is a finalist in the Pentagon's Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations program, which aims to test small modular reactors at Air Force bases in Colorado and Montana. Antares has secured firm contracts under this initiative.

A key technical milestone was achieved last month when the company's Mark0 demonstration reactor reached criticality at the Idaho National Laboratory. This event, which occurred on June 4, 2026, signifies the reactor sustained a self-sustaining nuclear...