Bluecore Energy는 항만 및 AI 인프라 부지 전용 부유형 원자력 발전 시스템 개발을 위해 5,000만 달러 규모의 시드 라운드를 조달했다.
Bluecore Energy has closed a $50 million seed round led by Silverton Partners, bringing its total disclosed funding to $60 million across two financing rounds since July. The Long Beach-based startup develops compact, water-cooled nuclear reactors mounted on floating barges to power ports, critical infrastructure, and potentially AI data centers. The funding announcement follows weeks after the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the U.S. Coast Guard signed a new maritime nuclear coordination agreement, replacing a regulatory framework that had been in place since 1973.
Six months ago, founder Kofi Asante had little more than a barge and a concept. Today, he has secured $50 million, a reactor undergoing federal review, and a distinction previously unclaimed in American nuclear power. Bluecore Energy, the Long Beach startup developing small modular reactors designed for floating barges instead of fixed land sites, has officially closed the seed round. Existing backer Slauson & Co. participated heavily, joined by Harlem Capital, Precursor Ventures, LMNT, Visible Hands, Karman Ventures, Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen, Capital Factory, Share Ventures, X&, Markham Valley Ventures, and Kevin Hart’s HartBeat Ventures. Additional capital was contributed by MaC Ventures and other undisclosed investors. This latest injection brings Bluecore’s total disclosed funding to $60 million, marking two financing rounds in just two months since the company emerged from stealth in July.
“We believe the combination of proven water-cooled reactor technology and a floating, modular platform has the potential to open an entirely new market for nuclear energy,” Silverton Partners stated.
From Uber to floating nuclear power
Asante founded Bluecore following early-stage roles at Uber’s Advanced Technology Group, Uber Freight, and its Powerloop spinoff, along with positions at Elroy Air and an electric vessel initiative at the Port of Long Beach. “Six months ago, we were building the foundation. Today, we have the capital, the team, the hardware, and some of the most important institutions in nuclear and maritime working alongside us. Our focus now is simple: create and deliver zero-emission energy as safely and quickly as possible,” Asante said. The engineering team combines former U.S. Navy nuclear submarine officers with specialists recruited from SpaceX, Northrop Grumman, Toyota, Rivian, and Uber.
A nuclear reactor designed for the water
Bluecore’s inaugural system is a 10-megawatt electric (MWe) water-cooled reactor engineered to operate for extended periods between refueling cycles. The design prioritizes scalability through modular expansion rather than complete system replacement. The approach relies on established light-water reactor physics—proven safe over seven decades of operation—rather than the experimental molten-salt or gas-cooled architectures favored by some competitors. While the company envisions future deployments powering ports, coastal infrastructure, and AI data centers, each application remains contingent on site-specific regulatory and safety approvals that have yet to be finalized.
That regulatory pathway has recently accelerated. In June, the NRC and the Coast Guard executed a new memorandum of understanding governing civilian maritime nuclear projects, superseding a framework that had remained unchanged since 1973. “The regulatory landscape for commercial nuclear maritime is coming together at exactly the right time. We’ve had both agencies at the table from our very first meeting, actively coordinating,” said Megan Moyette, Bluecore’s licensing and safety lead and a former Navy submarine officer.
Competing in a market that barely exists yet
Competitors are already advancing parallel technologies. Last Energy recently secured $100 million for a land-based microreactor utilizing comparable physics, while Amazon-backed X-energy is preparing for an $814 million initial public offering. Bluecore’s core differentiator is mobility: delivering power directly to demand centers rather than enduring multi-year permitting processes for stationary construction. According to Market.us, the global small modular reactor market is forecast to expand from approximately $3.5 billion in 2025 to $14.1 billion by 2035, though the specific market share attributable to floating designs remains unproven.
The Port of Long Beach has signaled strong institutional backing. “We are excited to welcome Bluecore Energy to the Port of Long Beach and its commitment to developing zero-emissions energy SMR solutions alongside the maritime community,” said Dr. Noel Hacegaba, the port’s chief executive officer. He noted that the facility’s 2050 electrification targets will necessitate hundreds of additional megawatts of capacity. Whether federal regulators will continue advancing at the pace investors are wagering on remains the central challenge Bluecore must navigate.