Xcimer Energy's Phoenix Prototype Surges Ahead: Prototype Targets 2026 Completion as Company Expands Vulcan Site Selection Across Multiple States

Xcimer Energy just hit a major milestone. The Denver-based laser fusion startup has successfully tested one of the world’s most powerful KrF lasers — a breakthrough that powers its “Phoenix” prototype pulse compression system. This prototype is engineered to deliver the optical pulse characteristics essential for igniting inertial fusion fuel capsules.

The Phoenix Prototype: On Track for 2026 Delivery

Xcimer’s Phoenix system, currently under construction in the company’s Denver laser bay — the largest bay in the world for this type of research — is positioned to achieve full completion in the first half of 2026. According to Co-founder and CEO Conner Galloway, the project remains on-schedule and on-budget. Earlier this year, the company finished assembling the first critical component of this prototype laser system, setting the stage for accelerated testing phases.

The significance here isn’t just engineering bragging rights. Phoenix represents the bridge between validated science and commercial scalability. By generating laser pulses with the precise optical characteristics needed to ignite fusion fuel, Xcimer is proving that laser fusion can transition from laboratory curiosity to industrial reality.

Vulcan: The Commercial-Scale Leap to Engineering Breakeven

Looking further ahead, Xcimer is architecting Vulcan — its next-generation fusion facility designed to achieve a 12 megajoule (MJ) laser output, surpassing both France’s Laser Megajoule and China’s new facility in Mianyang. The company targets 2030 for Vulcan’s construction completion and 2031 for achieving engineering breakeven from fusion reactions.

This matters because engineering breakeven — producing more energy from fusion than consumed in the process — has never been demonstrated at scale. If Xcimer succeeds, it fundamentally changes the fusion energy narrative from “theoretical promise” to “commercial viability.”

Multi-State Competition for Vulcan’s Home

The company is actively scouting locations across Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, California, and beyond to host Vulcan. Local governments and utilities have been crafting competitive bids, recognizing that hosting this facility would catalyze substantial infrastructure investment, workforce development, and attract adjacent high-tech sectors including data centers, robotics manufacturing, and medical research operations.

Xcimer currently operates with over 150 employees, primarily headquartered in Denver, with additional manufacturing operations in Tucson, Arizona. The Vulcan facility would significantly expand this footprint.

Government Backing and Industry Leadership

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright recently visited Xcimer’s Denver laser facility alongside U.S. Representative Gabe Evans of Colorado and Dr. Tony Frank, Chancellor of the Colorado State University System. During the briefing, Wright emphasized that “fusion on our energy grid will unleash America’s full potential,” highlighting how private sector innovation can commercialize public-sector scientific breakthroughs.

Rep. Evans noted that “energy dominance is essential for national security and economic strength,” underlining the strategic importance policymakers attach to American laser fusion leadership.

Why Laser Fusion Stands Apart

Among fusion approaches, laser fusion remains the only technology to scientifically demonstrate net energy gain. The National Ignition Facility achieved scientific breakeven in December 2022 — a watershed moment. Xcimer’s founders, Conner Galloway and Alexander Valys, both studied plasma physics at MIT and collaborated at Los Alamos National Lab before establishing Xcimer in 2022. They’re applying a novel laser architecture with significantly lower costs than the solid-state systems deployed at NIF.

The race is on: countries, states and counties leading the global fusion competition will disproportionately capture the economic and strategic benefits of this technology transition.