In 2023, Proxima Fusion emerged as the first-ever spin-off from the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) in Germany. Their vision? A new class of power plants based on the world’s most advanced magnetic confinement fusion device: the stellarator.
At binding.energy 2025, Dr. Lucio Milanese, COO and co-founder, took the audience through an ambitious and technical journey—from Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) to the first grid-scale commercial stellarator fusion reactor.
“Design, not control, is our strategy. Stellarators are harder to design—but easier to run.”
Stellarators offer a unique edge over tokamaks: they are intrinsically stable, steady-state machines with no reliance on plasma current.
| Feature | Tokamak | Stellarator |
|---|---|---|
| Current-driven plasma | Yes (needs pulsing) | No (fully external fields) |
| Operational mode | Pulsed | Continuous |
| Stability risks | High (disruptions common) | Low (disruption-free) |
| Design complexity | Medium | High |
| Operational ease | Complex | Easier, once built |
Founded: 2023 in Munich
Spin-off from: Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics
Employees: 70+ scientists and engineers
Funding: €62 million from Breakthrough Energy, UVC Partners, Plural, High-Tech Gründerfonds
“We are building on W7-X. We want to turn the best stellarator in the world into a commercial reactor.”
Dr. Milanese presented Stellaris – Proxima’s flagship concept for a grid-ready, modular stellarator system.
Modular high-field magnets (up to 20 T, developed with PSI & BNET)
Breeding Blanket: WCLL with tritium breeding ratio of 1.07
Divertor Design: Island divertor geometry
Cooling & Materials: EUROFER97, <500 °C operation
Reactor Size: Compact, scalable architecture
| Year | Milestone | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Pre-spin-off work at IPP | Magnetic design studies begin |
| 2023 | Company founded | €7M seed + €55M Series A raised |
| 2025 | System Architecture Freeze | Stellaris reactor concept defined |
| 2026–2028 | Prototype Component R&D | Magnets, cooling, materials |
| 2029–2031 | FOAK plant construction | Net-energy stellarator |
Dr. Milanese emphasized how Europe leads globally in stellarator development:
• Wendelstein 7-X is the world’s most advanced stellarator
• Magnet technology leadership (PSI, BNET, KIT, IPP)
• Fusion workforce concentrated in Germany, France, Switzerland
• Regulatory alignment via EURATOM and national frameworks
“No other region has the talent, know-how and institutional support for stellarators like Europe.”
Whereas many fusion ventures focus on burn physics or laser systems, Proxima Fusion prioritizes:
Magnetic system architecture
Component modularization
Industrial integration
Regulatory readiness
→ It’s about building a full power plant, not just a plasma experiment.
“It’s not about the perfect reactor. It’s about the scalable one.”
Dr. Milanese called for the commercial mindset to enter the fusion community: iterate fast, focus on manufacturability, build for integration.
ACTIMONDO ® 2025.
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