Pacific Fusion made a splash when it emerged from stealth with a $900 million Series A and a founding team led by a scientist widely known for his work on the Human Genome Project. The startup is revealing the physics that underpin its plans to build a fusion reactor. According to Will Regan, co-founder and president of Pacific Fusion, the company is publishing a detailed technical roadmap describing a system designed to achieve 100x the energy gain of the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at approximately one-tenth of the cost. The company projects its first commercial reactor is roughly a decade away. Pacific Fusion follows an inertial confinement path to fusion power similar to the Department of Energy's National Ignition Facility, where fuel is compressed until atomic fusion releases substantial energy. However, unlike the NIF's laser-driven compression, Pacific Fusion plans to deliver a massive electrical pulse directly into a target, generating a magnetic field that compresses the fuel capsule in approximately 100 nanoseconds. Power is generated by 156 impedance-matched Marx generators (IMGs), or pulser modules, a technology invented by co-founder Keith LeChien and colleagues. Together, these modules produce 2 terawatts over 100 nanoseconds—about four times the average output of the entire U.S. electrical grid. Each pulser module is built from repeating components, comprising 32 stages of metal rings surrounded by 10 'bricks.' Each brick includes a switch and two energy-storing capacitors. Delivering electricity simultaneously to the fuel pellet requires ultra-precise synchronization, as individual capacitors discharge in around 100 nanoseconds. Once discharged, the electrical surges travel via cables into a vacuum reaction chamber, converging on the target to exert electromagnetic force and initiate fusion. Pacific Fusion reported being several months ahead of schedule after developing simulation models and completing prototypes of the bricks and stages. This progress unlocks the next tranche of its $900 million funding round to construct a complete IMG module, which will then be replicated over 150 times. The biotech-style milestone tranche model was structured with backing from General Catalyst, CEO Eric Lander, and COO Carrie von Muench. Additionally, the company announced the hire of Sachin Desai, former general counsel at fusion competitor Helion, as its general counsel. The company also highlighted the regulatory clarity provided by the July 2024 Advance Act, which separates fusion regulation from traditional nuclear fission.