AI may never run a nuclear reactor, but it’s quickly becoming part of the industry’s daily operations. Nuclearn, an Arizona-based startup, says its AI software is already in use across 65 reactors worldwide, helping operators streamline repetitive tasks and documentation.
The company has raised a $10.5 million Series A round led by Blue Bear Capital, with participation from AZ-VC, Nucleation Capital, and SJF Ventures.
Founded by Bradley Fox and Jerrold Vincent after their time at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station near Phoenix, Nuclearn builds AI models trained on nuclear-specific terminology. Its tools help generate routine documentation, train custom models for utilities, and can run either in the cloud or on secure on-site hardware.
Fox describes the system as a “junior employee.” Reactor operators can set thresholds for automation, ensuring human oversight. “Most AI in the industry now, the NRC considers it a tool, like Excel or Mathematica,” Fox told TechCrunch. “Liability always falls with a person.”
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The funding reflects growing interest in AI from the nuclear sector, even as major tech companies like Meta, Google, and Microsoft lean on nuclear power for steady energy to fuel their own AI ambitions.
