CFS' Brandon Sorbom and Helion’s David Kirtley to Discuss Fusion Power at Disrupt 2026
Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) and Helion are two leading companies working toward commercial fusion power. CFS is developing SPARC, a demonstration machine that will support its first commercial plant, ARC, while also applying for grid connection with PJM Interconnection in April after raising $1 billion more this year to reach total funding of $4 billion. Helion aims to deliver 50 megawatts via the Orion power plant and has already reached significant milestones like heating plasma to 150 million degrees Celsius. At TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, CFS co-founder Brandon Sorbom and Helion CEO David Kirtley will discuss how fusion research is transitioning into commercial energy production. Both companies are addressing the technical challenges of scaling up from scientific breakthroughs to reliable power generation for customers like Microsoft by as early as 2028. The session highlights a pivotal moment in clean energy innovation, with both firms advancing toward practical applications that could reshape global electricity markets.
