Molten Salt Solutions raises $7M to build a domestic supply of nuclear-grade lithium
What's the deal? Molten Salt Solutions (MSS), a New Mexico-based lithium enrichment company, has closed an oversubscribed $7 million seed round. Dolby Family VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → led, with Vanedge Capital PartnersDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Alumni Ventures, Gaingels, True Ventures, and Future VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → participating.
What's the endgame? MSS produces enriched lithium-6 and lithium-7, isotopes critical to next-generation nuclear energy. Fusion systems need lithium-6; advanced fission molten salt reactors need lithium-7.
The funding will move MSS from laboratory-validated technology to pilot-scale production, fulfilling active customer agreements. It will also expand the technical and operations teams and deepen supply-chain partnerships across the fusion and advanced nuclear sectors.
Why now? The United States currently lacks commercial-scale production of either isotope, which MSS frames as a national energy-security gap. Founded by isotope enrichment leaders from Los Alamos National Laboratory, MSS says its proprietary platform is 100 times more efficient than legacy enrichment methods.
"Fusion and small modular fission reactors are racing toward commercialization and are necessary to meet growing global power demands," said John Elling, chief executive officer of MSS. "Both depend on a secure domestic supply of enriched lithium. MSS meets this need."
The seed round follows a $3 million pre-seed and more than $5 million in grant funding, including support through New Mexico's Advanced Energy Award. MSS is also developing a broader portfolio of enriched isotopes for emerging markets.
The signal: This is a sizeable seed round — larger than roughly 95% of comparable US seed deals in the sector, based on a sample of nearly 11,000. The capital reflects investor appetite for the physical supply chains underpinning fusion and advanced nuclear, as both technologies push toward commercialization.
Image credit: NRCgov
