Fusion startup shrinks fuel pellet production from a week to hours

Inertia Enterprises says it can produce inertial confinement fusion fuel pellets in two to three hours, down from a week or more at the National Ignition Facility. Crystal growth — the key bottleneck — now takes roughly 30 minutes. The company, which raised a $450 million Series A in February 2026, calls this the first of ten engineering barriers to a commercial fusion plant.