Marvel Fusion and the EIC Accelerator: Lasers, Nanotargets, Boron

Marvel Fusion, founded in Munich in 2019 and led by co-founder and chief executive Moritz von der Linden, pursues laser-driven fusion with femtosecond laser pulses fired at "nanostructured" fuel targets, aiming at the fusion of protons with boron-11. Its EIC Accelerator project, CFE-NANO, "Commercial Fusion Energy with Short-Pulse High-Intensity Lasers and Nanostructured Fuel Targets", receives an EU contribution of €2,489,221 and runs from October 2024 to March 2027, according to CORDIS. It develops manufacturing processes and quality control for fusion targets made with silicon semiconductor techniques; the report calls reliable mass production of targets "a key priority" for commercial fusion.

In the first period, the report says, the parameters of the first-generation "nano accelerator" target were finalised with simulation and validation work, and preliminary tests on large-scale manufacturing equipment achieved "successful patterning on over 1000 samples per batch", according to CORDIS. On progress beyond the state of the art, the report says: "we cannot disclose specific details in a public summary." In March 2025 Marvel Fusion extended its Series B by €50 million to €113 million with EQT Ventures, Siemens Energy Ventures and the EIC Fund, the fund's first equity investment in fusion, according to Marvel Fusion.

Where Marvel Fusion Stands Now

In November 2025 Marvel Fusion was one of eight companies out of 36 proposals selected for due diligence for an EIC STEP Scale Up investment of up to €30 million, to be part of a larger future round, according to Marvel Fusion. No completed investment has been announced. In July 2026 the German research ministry announced funding for a Laser Fusion Hub led by Marvel Fusion and Focused Energy, and in September 2026 the company launched Caelora, a subsidiary to sell high-energy laser systems as "an additional revenue stream", according to the company's newsroom. Its German accounts were not accessible in free sources.

The Technology: Chip Methods for Fusion Fuel

Marvel Fusion's targets are nanostructures that, when hit by ultra-short, ultra-intense laser pulses, convert the laser energy into large ion charges and energy flows, the EIC report says. Making them with semiconductor tools is meant to give the precision, reproducibility and volume a power plant would need. The company is also developing the lasers: two prototypes with Pulsed Light Technologies, a SPRIND-funded company, and a laser facility with Colorado State University in Fort Collins, according to optics.org. No net energy gain from this approach has been published.

What the EIC Award Promised, and What the Record Shows

The project runs to March 2027, so it is too early to judge it. Batch patterning at scale is reported. Yield, uniformity and cost results, the project's stated goals, are withheld from the public summary.

1. First-generation target designFinalisedProject report.
2. Batch manufacturing tests1,000+ samplesPreliminary.
3. Yield and quality controlConfidentialNot disclosed.
4. Fusion performanceNot publishedNo gain data.

The Money

Marvel Fusion reports €385 million of total funding, €170 million private and €215 million from public cooperation projects. The EIC is present three times: the Accelerator grant, the Series B stake and a possible STEP investment of up to €30 million.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

Germany's research ministry is backing laser fusion hubs aimed at a first commercial laser fusion plant in Germany, and Marvel Fusion leads one of them. Its $150 million laser facility, however, is being built in the United States with Colorado State University.

The Verdict

Marvel Fusion and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.