Startorus Fusion is a Chinese spherical-tokamak start-up developing a repetitive-reconnection approach; after SUNIST-2 (with Tsinghua) it is building the NTST device in Shanghai, due to operate in 2027, ahead of CTRFR-1, which targets equivalent Q>1 in 2029-2030 and an electricity-exporting demonstrator in the early 2030s.
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Current state
| Status | Design |
| Country | China |
| Location | Shanghai (Jiading) / Xi'an |
| Developer | Startorus Fusion |
| Developer type | Private |
| Concept | Spherical tokamak |
| Fuel | D-T |
| Purpose | Demonstration |
| Net energy target | 2029 |
| Site | Shanghai Jiading experimental base under construction (hall completion 2027) |
| Private funding raised | CNY 2bn (as of 2026-05-07) |
Notes
net energy target 2029 is the start of the company's 2029-2030 window for 'equivalent Q>1' (Q_sci-equivalent, likely D-D extrapolated). NTST installation targeted end-2026 with rated operation 2027. private funding raised (>RMB 2bn) is as of May 2026 and excludes the Aug 2026 RMB 880m A++ round, so the true cumulative total is higher. CTRFR-1 is described as a negative-triangularity spherical tokamak.
Timeline
- 2026-01-12 — Startorus closed a state-led Series A of about $143 million. (source)
- 2026-05-07 — Startorus closed a RMB 500 million Series A+ round, taking cumulative funding above RMB 2 billion. (source)
- 2026-08-09 — Startorus announced a further RMB 880 million (~$130 million) A++ round. (source)
The timeline is append-only: corrections are added as new entries. Stated targets appear in the current-state table, never as milestones.
Related projects
- BEST (Burning Plasma Experimental Superconducting Tokamak) Under construction · China
- CFEDR / China Fusion Energy Co. demo reactor (successor to CFETR) Design · China
- EAST (Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak) Operating · China
- HH170 (Energy Singularity) Design · China
- HH70 (Energy Singularity) Operating · China
- MAST Upgrade Operating · United Kingdom
- ST40 (Tokamak Energy) Operating · United Kingdom
- ST80-HTS (Tokamak Energy) Design · United Kingdom
See all 51 projects in the Fusion Energy Companies & Projects Tracker →
Sources
- Startorus Fusion Secures 500 Million Series A+ Financing — Startorus Fusion (primary), checked 2026-10-11
- Startorus Fusion company profile — FusionXInvest, checked 2026-10-11