March 13, 2025
Dutch deep-tech startup Thorizon has raised €20 million for the further development of its revolutionary small modular reactor (SMR), the Thorizon One. This new funding brings the total capital raised to €42.5 million and represents a significant milestone in the scaling up of molten salt reactor technology.
The financing includes a €16 million investment, led by Invest-NL and supported by an InvestEU guarantee from the European Commission, specifically aimed at technological development activities. This marks a major milestone in Thorizon’s Series A round. Venture capital fund Positron Ventures and regional development agencies PDENH (North Holland) and Impuls Zeeland are also participating. With this, all existing shareholders confirm their confidence in Thorizon.
In addition, Thorizon received a €4 million grant from the province of North Brabant, in collaboration with VDL Groep and Demcon. This builds on a previous €10 million grant in 2024 from the French program France 2030, which supports innovative reactors.
With this funding, Thorizon is halfway toward its goal for the Series A round. The company is now focusing on attracting additional investors who want to contribute to Thorizon’s mission. With its innovative small modular reactor (SMR), Thorizon aims not only to strengthen Europe’s energy security but also to further expand its leading position in nuclear innovation.
The capital will be used for the development of the Thorizon One’s advanced cartridge system – a groundbreaking technology that generates energy in a safe and cost-efficient manner by recycling long-lived nuclear waste. Additionally, Thorizon is working on finalizing the basic design, initiating licensing procedures, and developing prototypes of crucial components.
All with one clear goal: to start construction of the first Thorizon One reactor in Europe by 2030.
Kiki Lauwers, CEO of Thorizon:
“Thanks to the support of our investors and the governments involved, we are excellently positioned to develop the Thorizon One. There is a massive opportunity to accelerate nuclear innovation in Europe and thus strengthen our energy security, while simultaneously reducing CO₂ emissions and the amount of long-lived nuclear waste. In addition to our current shareholders, there is room for new strategic partners and investors to realize the first molten salt reactor in Europe together.”
Thorizon One: from long-lived nuclear waste to emission-free energy.
This funding gives Thorizon a powerful boost in the development of the Thorizon One – a new generation of reactor that addresses traditional objections to nuclear energy. This innovative reactor provides emission-free energy and reuses long-lived nuclear waste as fuel. The modular design and advanced cartridge system represent an essential step toward a circular nuclear economy. Thanks to molten salt technology, Thorizon is developing reactors that are intrinsically safe, cost-efficient, and faster to build than conventional nuclear power plants – a concrete solution for the energy transition in Europe.
About Thorizon:
Thorizon has rapidly grown from an NRG spin-off into an ambitious deep-tech startup with offices in Amsterdam and Lyon. The company views small modular nuclear reactors as an ideal, stable, and clean addition to an energy system where wind and solar are key sources. Thorizon aims to develop a molten salt reactor that is ‘walk-away safe’ and takes a first step toward circularity by using long-lived nuclear waste as fuel. Currently, the company is working on the plant design and system prototypes, with the intention of starting construction on the first reactor, the Thorizon One, around 2030. Thorizon collaborates with industrial leaders such as Orano, Tractebel, VDL Groep, and EDF. The project has been selected by the European Commission and by the French government within the France 2030 investment plan.
Want to know more about this news?
Read the full press release on the Thorizon website.
About PDENH:
Over the past ten years, the Sustainable Economy Participation Fund North Holland (PDENH) has made a significant contribution to the transition toward a sustainable and circular economy. The fund has invested over 70 million euros in innovative and sustainable projects in the region. Since September 2023, it has been a closed-end fund focusing on follow-on investments in existing portfolio companies. PDENH is managed by ROM InWest, KplusV, and StartGreen Capital.
Want to know more about PDENH? View the fund page or visit the fund’s website.
