Starlight Engine

About Starlight Engine

Starlight Engine Ltd. is a Japanese startup established in April 2025 as a group company of Kyoto Fusioneering, with the mission to develop and commercialize fusion energy. The company is headquartered in Tokyo and is led by CEO Kiyotaka Kikuchi. Its primary focus is leading the 'Fusion by Advanced Superconducting Tokamak' (FAST) project, a privately-led initiative aiming to demonstrate fusion power generation during the 2030s. The company's strategy is to transition fusion technology from the research and development phase to the construction of practical, electricity-generating power plants. The business model centers on integrating all necessary plant technologies, such as plasma confinement, fuel handling and recycling, heat conversion, and safety systems, to create a complete power generation solution. Starlight Engine intends to build a domestic supply chain in Japan through collaboration between industry, government, and academia, with a long-term goal of exporting its technology and power plant capabilities internationally. The core of Starlight Engine's technological approach is the FAST project, which utilizes a tokamak system—a design with extensive experimental history. This project aims to build an innovative and highly feasible low-aspect-ratio tokamak reactor by integrating advanced technologies like high-temperature superconducting magnets and sophisticated blanket systems for tritium breeding. The objective is to achieve and sustain a burning plasma from deuterium-tritium (D-T) fusion reactions and demonstrate a complete system that converts fusion-generated heat into usable energy. In July 2026, Starlight Engine successfully closed its first external fundraising round, securing JPY 6.06 billion (approximately $37.4 million). The round was led by Global Brain Corporation and saw participation from a wide range of investors including utilities, construction, real estate, and manufacturing firms. This capital is intended to accelerate the engineering design of the FAST project, support research and development, facilitate site selection, and expand the team to around 200 employees. Keywords: fusion energy, tokamak reactor, FAST project, superconducting magnets, plasma confinement, clean energy, power generation, nuclear fusion, Kyoto Fusioneering, deuterium-tritium fuel cycle, burning plasma, energy infrastructure, alternative energy, electricity generation, Japan, advanced materials, heat conversion, tritium breeding, carbon-neutral, deep tech