Why Disruption, Not Optimization, Will Power Fusion
At binding.energy 2025, Dr. Antonia Schmalz delivered a compelling call to arms: Fusion won’t succeed through marginal gains. It needs bold bets, unconventional paths – and the strategic structures to support them.
As physicist, co-founder of Pulsed Light Technologies (PLT), and fusion lead at SPRIND – Germany’s Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation – Schmalz is at the intersection of physics, entrepreneurship, and public capital.
“We fund what others won’t. Because fusion can’t afford to wait.”
SPRIND operates under the Federal Ministries for Economy and Education. Unlike traditional grant systems, it applies “DARPA-like” logic:
Radical innovation only – no incrementalism
Funding from €1M–€50M equity, plus €15M+ grants
Milestone-based, risk-tolerant, agile
Mix of venture debt, equity, and public-private leverage
“We don’t wait for consensus. We build trajectories.”
| Instrument | Amount | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Grants | up to €15M | Non-dilutive early-stage |
| Equity / Venture Debt | €1M–€50M | Convertible, milestone-bound |
| Co-investment ratio | Up to 70% | With private capital (pari passu) |
Founded in August 2023, PLT is a 100% SPRIND subsidiary dedicated to building laser infrastructure for fusion startups. It currently backs:
Marvel Fusion
Focused Energy
Both operate under the diode-pumped, ultra-short-pulse paradigm.
PLT’s R&D portfolio includes:
ns compression lasers
fs ignition lasers
fs high-contrast systems
Total committed funding: €90M (2023–2025)
Dr. Schmalz highlighted the fragile path from research to real-world fusion machines:
High complexity → difficult engineering scaling
Fragmented startups → overlapping needs, few shared standards
Unclear markets → uncertain revenue forecasts
Supply chain → laser diodes, optics, crystals, HTS tape all bottlenecked
According to the Laser Inertial Fusion Energy Memorandum (BMBF):
| Component | Estimated Need per Power Plant |
|---|---|
| Large optics (≥200 mm) | 7,000–10,000 units |
| Nonlinear crystals | >1,000 (large aperture, high quality) |
| Laser diodes | 1–10 million @1kW/bar |
| HTS conductor | ~300,000 km |
Schmalz pointed to the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) as a model for how fusion can succeed. The ITRS, built by global chip experts (1998–2015), created:
Standardized roadmaps
Industrial alignment on R&D and production
A common “target horizon” across countries
“Fusion must think like semiconductors: plan together, compete later.”
Efforts include:
Fusion2040: BMBF-funded national strategy
New €100M research fund in Bavaria
Supply chain networking events
Education, regulation, funding across the board
Dr. Schmalz closed with a warning – and an opportunity:
“Public labs are ready for prototypes. Private startups are building hardware. Now the systems must meet – through policy, funding, and strategy.”
