Sam Altman’s Fusion Venture Achieves Significant 150M Degree Milestone
Helion Energy, the fusion power startup led by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, announced a groundbreaking achievement on February 13, 2026. The company successfully reached plasma temperatures of 150 million degrees Celsius—ten times hotter than the sun’s core. This milestone is a significant stride towards the company’s ambitious goal of delivering commercial fusion electricity to Microsoft data centers by 2028.
This achievement places Helion at the cutting edge of the global race to commercialize fusion energy. This energy source promises clean, limitless electricity, which is crucial to power the AI boom. The temperature reached surpasses the 100 million degree threshold, which is considered necessary for sustained commercial fusion power. This validates Helion’s unique field-reversed configuration approach.
Helion’s Polaris prototype has become the first privately funded fusion machine to demonstrate measurable deuterium-tritium fusion. Unlike traditional fusion technologies that generate heat to power steam turbines, Helion’s innovative system captures electricity directly during the fusion process. This could potentially allow faster deployment than competitors. The company has already secured a contract to supply power to Microsoft, with plans to bring its larger Orion commercial reactor online in Washington State by 2028.
Founded in 2013, Helion has garnered significant backing from tech luminaries including Altman, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, and Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz. The breakthrough demonstrates the potential of private sector innovation in solving one of humanity’s greatest energy challenges.
Source: Fortune