Sam Altman, the founder of OpenAI, has announced that Oklo, a business specializing in “nuclear microreactors” of which he is chairman, will go public.

Sam Altman, the founder of OpenAI, has announced that Oklo, a business specializing in “nuclear microreactors” of which he is chairman, will go public. Oklo is a step closer to Sam Altman’s vision of a future driven by AI and broadly accessible sustainable energy.

Oklo revealed on Tuesday that it will IPO via SPAC in 2024 with AltC. Acquisition Corp, a business Altman, and Michael Klein, the former CEO of Citigroup’s global banking, cofounded. With much smaller reactors, Oklo is seeking to mimic the nuclear fission process that takes place in nuclear power plants.

Oklo, a company co-founded by Jacob DeWitte and Caroline Cochran in 2013, has raised approximately $50 million in funding. They received a grant of around $420,000 from the US Department of Energy and are planning to utilize the additional $500 million raised from a public offering to finance the construction of their first microreactor.

Oklo’s microreactor technology enables the construction of remote power stations resembling Northern European mountain lodges, producing nuclear energy without generating waste and operating autonomously.

Oklo secured a permit for its microreactor at Idaho National Laboratory, expected to be active by 2026 or 2027 while receiving used nuclear fuel from the facility. Sam Altman’s interest in energy led him to invest $375 million in Helion for nuclear fusion research, alongside his involvement in Oklo’s nuclear fission efforts. Microsoft plans to purchase energy from Helion starting in 2028 after investing $13 billion in Altman’s OpenAI.

Nuclear fusion made progress in December 2022, achieving a net energy gain. Altman’s long-term vision aligns with Oklo’s goals, aiming to provide planetary-scale energy for billions of years. While DeWitte focuses on practical matters, Altman’s enthusiasm has influenced him.