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Fusion power may not be sci-fi. Just ask the people who sunk $5B into it | Equity Podcast

Fusion energy has been “20 years away” for decades, but has the science finally caught up? Private investment in fusion companies surged from $10 billion to $15 billion in just months, and the money is coming from places you wouldn’t expect. On this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, Rebecca Bellan and guest host Tim De…

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Fusion energy has been “20 years away” for decades, but has the science finally caught up? Private investment in fusion companies surged from $10 billion to $15 billion in just months, and the money is coming from places you wouldn’t expect.

On this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, Rebecca Bellan and guest host Tim De Chant sit down with Rachel Slaybaugh, general partner at DCVC, to break down why serious investors are finally treating fusion as a real asset class, and what the return thesis actually looks like when no one expects a power plant in their fund lifetime.

Subscribe to Equity on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro & fusion fest check-in

01:52 Why fusion, why now?

05:04 Federal funding history

06:17 The IEA’s 2030 milestone

07:37 What’s actually new: AI & superconducting magnets

09:19 Near-term revenue vs. staying the course

12:03 The return thesis: betting on “fusion euphoria”

19:33 Portfolio strategy: betting on the whole stack

21:16 How much energy do we actually need?

25:39 Data centers & the regulatory window

29:06 Fusion vs. fission explained

30:15 Going public: SPACs & Trump Media

32:08 Outro

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2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. @jeffcraymore

    April 22, 2026 at 4:03 pm

    It is “sci-fi” if they had a brain. They would know it’s a scam. Over Unity. You can’t produce more power than what is required to produce that power.
    They are at 80% output verse the amount they need to run the test.
    They will never reach 110% output. because it is physically impossible.

    While, yeah for them to allow the scientists to keep playing with their toys (doing research) In no reality can they produce over unity.

    Reply

  2. @SchweetOne

    April 22, 2026 at 6:03 pm

    The catch with fusion is that the time period that the fusion lasts at lawrence livermore is only trillionths of a second. Sure fusion has been sustained for many minutes in other cases, but reaching ignition and having it last is still very far away it seems. They need to go from ignition events one to two times per day, to having thousands per second. 5 billion is chump change if a miracle happens and there’s a massive breakthrough, but it’s not exactly ‘close’. Quantum is just as far away.

    Reply

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Science & Technology

Amazon and others are done keeping their data center deals secret | Equity Podcast

Amazon says it will stop using NDAs when negotiating data center deals with local governments, following a similar move from Microsoft earlier this year. Secrecy has fueled community backlash against AI infrastructure, with opposition leading to hundreds of proposed and enacted moratoriums from New York to San Francisco. Meanwhile, a wave of startups is betting…

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October 9, 2026

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Amazon says it will stop using NDAs when negotiating data center deals with local governments, following a similar move from Microsoft earlier this year. Secrecy has fueled community backlash against AI infrastructure, with opposition leading to hundreds of proposed and enacted moratoriums from New York to San Francisco. Meanwhile, a wave of startups is betting that consumers will hand AI agents access to their inboxes, files, and credit cards — if they can get websites to let them in.

On this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, Anthony Ha, Sean O’Kane, and Rebecca Bellan dig into whether ditching NDAs will change how data center deals get done, why trust may be the real product for personal AI startups, plus a couple of deals of the week.

We’ll see you next week at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026! Get 25% off your tickets with code Equity25, and we’ll see you on the Builders Stage Tuesday at 9 am.

Subscribe to Equity on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You can also follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

0:55 Trump’s “superintelligence force” and the great AI rebranding

3:19 Amazon drops NDAs on data center deals

9:17 Why the AI industry has a communication problem

12:51 Personal AI agents: finding money in your inbox

15:27 Ghost’s $3,500 computer built for personal AI

19:16 Trust is the product: privacy-first agent startups

27:36 Lambda’s $4B raise and the neo cloud backlog problem

31:22 Uber’s $2.3B move into catering

35:10 Outro

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CNET

Apple’s Welcome Home Event: Everything Leaked! Apple TV 4K, HomePods and a New Hub | One More Thing

Apple has a ‘Welcome Home’ event on Tuesday, and we’re expecting big changes coming to smart home products, including a new countertop Hub, HomePod mini speakers and Apple TV 4K box. Bridget Carey breaks down the rumors and what has her excited. You can find the products mentioned in this video linked below Apple 2022…

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October 9, 2026

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Apple has a ‘Welcome Home’ event on Tuesday, and we’re expecting big changes coming to smart home products, including a new countertop Hub, HomePod mini speakers and Apple TV 4K box. Bridget Carey breaks down the rumors and what has her excited.

You can find the products mentioned in this video linked below
Apple 2022 Apple TV 4K Wi‑Fi + Ethernet with 128GB Storage (3rd Generation)
Apple HomePod mini – Orange (Refurbished)
*CNET may get a commission on these offers

Read more about Apple’s Welcome Home event on CNET.com
I’m Way Too Excited for Apple’s Home Event and How It Will Level Up My Siri Experience
Apple Announces Next ‘Welcome Home’ Special Event on Oct. 13

Timecode Chapters:
0:00 A new HomePod is coming
1:05 Hidden Apple code shows new HomePod Mini 2 colors
1:36 HomePod Mini 2 chip upgrades
1:49 Living in a world with 2 Siris
2:02 Smarter Siri for new Apple HomePods
2:25 Apple brings HomePod Mini surround sound into the home theater
2:36 Could a new Apple TV 4K box be on the way?
2:48 New Apple TV 4K box details
2:54 Apple TV 4K hardware upgrades
3:26 Are we getting a new Apple TV remote?
3:42 Here comes the HomeHub speaker with a screen
3:53 Apple HomeHub details from Bloomberg’s reporting
4:11 HomeHub screen could minic iPhone Duo
4:24 How will a HomeHub contribute to the smart home?
4:36 Possible HomeHub versions
4:52 Countertop HomeHub design
5:05 More smart home devices expected from Apple
5:23 Snoopy and the HomeHub
5:54 Are you ready for Apple’s new smart home products?

Video Credits:
Host: Bridget Carey
Scripted by: Bridget Carey
Producer: Carly Marsh
Camera: Carly Marsh, Celso Bulgatti, Bridget Carey, CNET Archive
Video Editor: Carly Marsh
Thumbnail Designer: Zooey Liao

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Science & Technology

Build Mode Bonus: Inside the VC Decision-Making Process with True Ventures’ Puneet Agarwal

Venture capital is more concentrated than ever, making it increasingly difficult for early-stage founders to land their first check. So what does it actually take to stand out to investors? In this special bonus episode of Build Mode () , host Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Puneet Agarwal, managing partner at True Ventures () ,…

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2 days ago

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October 9, 2026

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Venture capital is more concentrated than ever, making it increasingly difficult for early-stage founders to land their first check. So what does it actually take to stand out to investors?

In this special bonus episode of Build Mode () , host Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Puneet Agarwal, managing partner at True Ventures () , to discuss what VCs are really looking for in 2026.

True Ventures has backed companies including Fitbit, Peloton, and Duo Security, and evaluates thousands of startups each year while writing roughly 20 checks. Puneet breaks down what makes founders stand out, how to get in front of investors without an established Silicon Valley network, and the biggest mistakes founders make during fundraising.

Recorded as part of TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield masterclass series, the conversation also covers due diligence, term sheets, valuations, and why raising more money isn’t always better.

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