Oklo

Oklo Inc. embarked on its journey in 2013, co-founded by Jacob DeWitte and Caroline Cochran, both graduates of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Their vision was to revolutionize the energy sector by developing advanced fission power plants. From its inception, Oklo set out to design and deploy compact fast reactors, aiming to provide clean, reliable, and affordable energy solutions on a global scale. The company's name itself is a nod to a region in Gabon, Africa, where natural self-sustaining nuclear fission reactions occurred billions of years ago, a testament to the long-term potential of nuclear power.

The early years focused on research, development, and navigating the complex regulatory landscape of the nuclear industry. A significant milestone was receiving a Site Use Permit from the U.S. Department of Energy in 2019 to build and operate a prototype of its Aurora reactor at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). This was a crucial step in bringing their innovative designs closer to reality. Oklo's approach has always been to not just develop technology, but to also address the entire lifecycle of nuclear energy, including advancing nuclear fuel recycling to convert nuclear waste into clean energy. Their flagship product line, the Aurora powerhouse, is designed to be inherently safe, capable of running on both fresh and recycled fuel, and initially producing 15-50 MWe with scalability up to 100 MWe. The Aurora reactors are intended for a variety of off-grid applications, including powering data centers, remote communities, industrial sites, and military bases, with the ability to operate for up to a decade or more without refueling. Throughout its evolution, Oklo has garnered support from various investors and has been recognized for its pioneering work, even becoming the subject of a Harvard Business School case study and featuring in documentaries. The company went public and began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker OKLO, marking another significant step in its mission to reshape the future of energy.