NUCLEAR FUSION
Unlocking the energy source of the future.
Accelerating the path to economically viable fusion power.
MISSION
Fusion has the potential to become a safe, climate-neutral and virtually limitless source of energy for the future. Germany has excellent research capabilities and strong industrial expertise in fusion. The challenge now is to bring these capabilities together and translate them into concrete technological solutions. Germany should be the first country to develop an economically viable fusion power plant.
STRATEGY & IMPACT
SPRIND sees nuclear fusion as a breakthrough innovation and has already established itself as a driving force in this field. It provides long-term, risk-tolerant financing to promising companies with the potential to advance the development of a viable fusion power plant.
Given its unique mandate to enable groundbreaking developments beyond established structures, SPRIND can operate particularly close to the market. By strategically leveraging private capital, SPRIND creates additional financing opportunities and supports companies in advancing their technologies from early-stage demonstrators to more market-ready development stages and, ultimately, towards the construction of a fusion power plant.
MILESTONE-BASED PROGRAM
The Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) has commissioned SPRIND to implement a Milestone Program for fusion energy. The program supports start-ups and young companies along the technical and financial milestones of their own company roadmaps, which describe the technological pathway toward a demonstration fusion power plant.
PROGRAM FRAMEWORK
The Milestone Program is part of the Fusion Action Plan and the Hightech Agenda Deutschland (HTAD), complementing the BMFTR’s existing funding measures. The program aims to implement the technology demonstrators announced in the HTAD and the Fusion Action Plan as technological intermediate steps toward a fusion power plant. The program is designed as a long-term initiative running until 2037.
PROGRAM LOGIC
Funding follows the companies’ roadmaps and is linked to clear technical and economic milestones. Several participants are supported in parallel to ensure competition and comparability. If milestones are clearly missed or requirements are not met, funding ends. This ensures that resources are focused on the strongest approaches.
ROADMAPS
The roadmaps describe the pathway toward the submission of a Technical Design Report for a demonstration fusion power plant. They must be scientifically sound, technically robust, and underpinned by SMART milestones. They include, among other things, details on technology demonstrators, supply chains, strategic partnerships and scientific collaborations, IP management, and the financing concept.
FINANCING TOOLS
Funding is provided from the Special Fund for Infrastructure and Climate Neutrality (SVIK). €500 million will be made available by 2029. In the longer term, the total volume of public funding is expected to increase to up to €2.5 billion. The program uses a mix of instruments, including equity, grants and, where applicable, loans, guarantees, and sureties.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
The evaluation considers, among other factors, technical feasibility, maturity, risk structure, speed, leverage of private capital, supply chains, as well as strategic partnerships and IP. A key consideration is whether the approach is sufficiently ambitious while providing verifiable interim targets and clear stop/go points. The extent to which the concept can attract external investors and activate follow-on financing is also critical.
INDEPENDENT EXPERTS
The initial roadmaps and the achievement of milestones are reviewed by independent external experts for scientific and technical quality. Where appropriate, SPRIND, together with additional experts, also assesses the economic rationale, financing structure, and achievement of financial milestones.
CALL FOR SUBMISSION
Detailed information can be found in the call for submissions. Before applying, please read the full call for submissions.
APPLICATION
The application deadline is January 13, 2027, at 6:00 p.m. (CET). All applications received by this deadline will be duly considered.
Start-ups and young companies preparing an application are encouraged to contact SPRIND directly at an early stage. Given the program’s specific design, individual consultations are intended to take place during the preparation phase. In particular, these discussions can address which documents and information are suitable in each individual case to demonstrate compliance with the required eligibility criteria.
Contact & Team
At SPRIND, nuclear fusion is pursued as a strategic initiative of high priority. The team presented here drives this initiative and helps advance key developments in the field. We look forward to hearing from you and to your engagement.
Please get in touch with us — preferably by email at fusion@sprind.org.
Dr. Antonia Schmalz
Dr. Lorenz Höppl
Brian Hotani
Events
Meet us in person.
Meet us in person.
Aachen, Germany
Fraunhofer Fusion Industry Day 2.0
Fraunhofer’s Fusion 2.0 Industry Day explores technological developments and industrial perspectives on the path towards commercial fusion energy.
Munich, Germany
The Business Booster 2026
The Business Booster brings together leading companies, start-ups, investors and innovation leaders to accelerate scalable technologies for the energy transition.
Québec City, Canada
First International Conference on Commercial Advances for Fusion Power Plants (FPP 2026)
FPP 2026 focuses on the technological, economic and industrial challenges involved in advancing fusion towards commercial power plants.
Aachen, Germany
Binding Energy – International Conference on Nuclear Technology
Binding Energy brings together international experts to discuss current developments and future perspectives in nuclear technology.
Munich, Germany
FusionX:Global
FusionX:Global brings together the international fusion energy community, creating a platform for exchange between research, industry, start-ups and investors.
Deep Dives
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