US-based Project Omega has emerged from stealth to announce its mission to rebuild the US nuclear fuel cycle by developing and deploying cutting edge technologies and processes to recycle used nuclear fuel into long-duration, high-density power sources, and critical materials for the nuclear industry.
Project Omega was founded by Dr Stafford Sheehan in mid-2025 and is headquartered in Newport, Rhode Island. Sheehan officially registered the business in the summer of 2025 after departing his previous venture, Air Company, at the end of 2024. Initial core technology demonstrations were conducted at the company’s Rhode Island laboratory.
The project remained in “stealth mode” until its official public debut on 11 February, announcing an oversubscribed $12m seed funding round led by Starship Ventures. Other key participants in the round included Mantis Ventures, Buckley Ventures, Decisive Point and Slow Ventures.
“Every leap in technology has followed a great leap in energy,” said Sean Hoge, Founder of Starship Ventures. “History is littered with brilliant ideas consigned to paper or the whiteboard because power wasn’t there. Project Omega is turning spent nuclear fuel into abundant, resilient energy to drive the next wave of innovation and help our civilisation flourish beyond Earth, among the stars.”
Hugo Peterson, Starship’s Chief Operating Officer, noted: “Spent nuclear fuel may be considered trash for some but we believe it is a treasure, and key to unlocking the next century of US energy leadership. Project Omega is the company with the technology and expertise to make that future real.”
Although based in Rhode Island, the project relies on national laboratory infrastructure for testing, partnering with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to test and validate its nuclear batteries using isotopes such as strontium-90. The project is also supported by the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E).
“AI acceleration, electrified manufacturing, and new industrial systems are driving energy demand far faster than today’s grid can provide,” said Dr Sheehan. “Nuclear energy remains the only power source capable of matching that trajectory, yet the US has never built the ecosystem required to enable its full potential. Recycled nuclear fuel can be the foundation of energy independence by delivering decades-long power for military systems, and supplying fuel for advanced nuclear reactors. We are now building the infrastructure to unleash this energy source.”
For more than 50 years, the US has treated used nuclear fuel as waste with no reprocessing or recycling. Some 100,000 tonnes of used nuclear fuel are stored in more than 100 sites across the US in used fuel pools as well as steel and concrete casks and the stockpile continues to grow.
Project Omega is partnering with the ARPA-E to demonstrate a safe, commercially viable pathway to used nuclear fuel recycling while creating domestic energy security and economic growth opportunities. ARPA-E’s Nuclear Energy Waste Transmutation Optimised Now (NEWTON) programme aims to make the reprocessing of US commercial used nuclear fuel economically viable within 30 years.
“DOE is focused on connecting innovative companies with our national labs to explore new ideas and advance early-stage testing,” said Anthony Pugliese, Chief Commercialisation Officer and Director of DOE’s Office of Technology Commercialisation. “When companies like Project Omega need access to specialised expertise or facilities, we help connect them with labs like Pacific Northwest National Laboratory so promising ideas can move forward.”
PNNL recently began the testing and evaluation of Project Omega’s novel nuclear power system, producing a working proof of concept within months. A team led by Dr David Koch, senior scientist, has taken a leading role at PNNL in supporting the commercial space nuclear community to meet US national priorities.
“Long-duration, resilient energy sources will be critical for continuing bold scientific discovery across our solar system,” said Koch. “This public and private partnership with Project Omega addresses issues of national importance. We hope to demonstrate the use of spent nuclear fuel in the nuclear power systems critical to inspiring the next generation of scientists. This may also help to transform the conversation around spent nuclear fuel from one of waste to that of an enabling national resource.”
“Every leap in technology has followed a great leap in energy,” said Sean Hoge, Founder of Starship Ventures. “History is littered with brilliant ideas consigned to paper or the whiteboard because power wasn’t there. Project Omega is turning spent nuclear fuel into abundant, resilient energy to drive the next wave of innovation and help our civilisation flourish beyond Earth, among the stars.”
Hugo Peterson, Starship’s Chief Operating Officer said: “Spent nuclear fuel may be considered trash for some but we believe it is a treasure, and key to unlocking the next century of US energy leadership. Project Omega is the company with the technology and expertise to make that future real.”
Earlier in February, DOE awarded $19m to five companies in support of nuclear fuel recycling programmes. Most of these companies aim to produce fuel for their own advanced nuclear reactors still in the basic design stage. Sean Hoge of Starship Ventures said that means 10 years of planning, 10 years of certifications and many billions of dollars. “We want something that can enter the market on a short timeline.”
Unlike other nuclear fuel companies, Project Omega takes a consumer approach to nuclear waste recycling, aiming to turn the power isotopes in nuclear waste into long-life batteries that people and the government can use.
Project Omega has been awarded a Department of War contract that is currently being finalised. Dr Sheehan hopes to work with the government and the intelligence community to provide “radioactive power sources” for “dull, dirty or dangerous missions” like sensors and autonomous systems. Broader consumer applications will come later, after the technology is improved and scaled. “Think about what applications could benefit from a battery that never dies,” he noted.
According to Forbes, Sheehan landed on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list at age 27 with a startup he spun out of his Yale PhD work, anti-corrosion company Catalytic Innovations. Then he cofounded Air Company, which turns atmospheric carbon dioxide into jet fuel and consumer products like vodka and cologne and was last valued at $436 million in 2024. After seven years there, Sheehan left Air Company at the end of 2024. Two months later he sued for wrongful termination, alleging he was fired for “protected whistleblower activity”. Air Company has disputed the allegations; the case is ongoing.
