Fusion energy has been “20 years away” for decades, but has science finally caught up? Private investment in merger companies went from $10 billion to $15 billion in just a few months, and money is coming from places you wouldn’t expect.
In this episode of TechCrunch Equity podcast, Rebecca Bellan and guest host Tim De Chant sit down with Rachel Slaybaughgeneral partner at DCVC, to explain why serious investors are finally treating merger as a real asset class, and what the return thesis really looks like when no one expects a powerhouse over the life of their fund.
Listen to the full episode to learn more about:
- Why the investment thesis for merger is less like traditional venture capital than biotech or SpaceX, and what “merger euphoria” has to do with it
- What does the Q value milestone actually mean and how close are leading startups to reaching the figure that could trigger a public market opening?
- How superconducting bands and AI-powered plasma physics quietly do as much work as big scientific advances
- Why a merger company merging with Trump Media and Technology Group made Tim do a double take at his inbox
Subscribe to Equity on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Covered, Spotify and all castings. You can also follow Equity on X And Topicson @EquityPod.
Tim De Chant is senior climate reporter at TechCrunch. He has written for a wide range of publications, including Wired magazine, the Chicago Tribune, Ars Technica, The Wire China, and NOVA Next, where he was a founding editor.
De Chant is also a lecturer in MIT’s graduate science writing program, and he received a Knight Science Journalism Fellowship at MIT in 2018, during which time he studied climate technologies and explored new business models for journalism. He received his doctorate in environmental science, policy and management from the University of California, Berkeley, and his bachelor’s degree in environmental studies, English and biology from St. Olaf College.
You can contact or check Tim’s outreach by sending an email tim.dechant@techcrunch.com.
Rebecca Bellan is a senior reporter at TechCrunch where she covers the business, policy and emerging trends shaping artificial intelligence. His work has also appeared in Forbes, Bloomberg, The Atlantic, The Daily Beast and other publications.
You can contact or check Rebecca’s outreach by sending an email rebecca.bellan@techcrunch.com or via encrypted message to rebeccabellan.491 on Signal.
Theresa Loconsolo is an audio producer at TechCrunch and focuses on Equity, the network’s flagship podcast. Before joining TechCrunch in 2022, she was one of two producers at a four-station conglomerate where she wrote, recorded, voiced and edited content, and designed live performances and guest interviews like Lovelytheband. Theresa is based in New Jersey and holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Monmouth University.
You can contact or check Theresa’s outreach by sending an email Theresa.loconsolo@techcrunch.com.