Press Releases
Fujikura Invests in Starlight Engine Ltd., the Company Driving the FAST Project
Fujikura Ltd. (Representative Director, President and CEO: Naoki Okada) has invested in Starlight Engine Ltd. ("Starlight Engine"), the company promoting the "FAST (Fusion by Advanced Superconducting Tokamak) Project" — a private-sector-led industry-academia collaboration aiming to demonstrate power generation using fusion energy in the 2030s — and pursuing its subsequent commercial deployment in society. We have invested in Starlight Engine (hereinafter referred to as "Starlight Engine").
1. About Starlight Engine Ltd.
Starlight Engine was established in April 2025 as a group company of Kyoto Fusioneering Ltd., a globally recognized fusion energy startup. In addition to overseeing the FAST Project as a whole, the company is advancing a wide range of activities aimed at realizing commercial fusion plants, including technology development, business development, fundraising, site selection, and supply chain construction.
2. What is Fusion Energy?
Fusion energy is the energy released when light atomic nuclei (deuterium and tritium) fuse to form a different nucleus (helium) — the same reaction that powers the sun. It is said that one gram of fuel can generate energy equivalent to burning eight tons of oil.
The fuel can be extracted from seawater, and the power generation process using fusion energy emits no carbon dioxide (CO₂). For these reasons, fusion energy is attracting attention as a solution to environmental issues such as global warming, and is expected to play a vital role in realizing a carbon-neutral society.
3. Purpose of the Investment
Fujikura regards the FAST Project promoted by Starlight Engine as a critical initiative toward the societal implementation of fusion energy. Fujikura's high-temperature superconductors (HTS) *1 is used in the HTS magnets that confine and control the plasma required for fusion energy generation.
By leveraging long-cultivated technology and expertise in HTS, together with its proven track record of supplying wire to fusion energy projects both in Japan and overseas, Fujikura will contribute to advancing the FAST Project through this investment.
Going forward, Fujikura will continue to pursue further innovation aimed at reducing environmental impact and realizing a sustainable energy supply, thereby contributing to the development of society.
Company Profile: Starlight Engine Ltd.
[Company Name] Starlight Engine Ltd.
[Head Office] AW1-S, Tokyo Ryutsu Center Logistics Building A,
6-1-1 Heiwajima, Ota-ku, Tokyo, Japan
[Established] April 2025
[Representative] Kiyotaka Kikuchi, Representative Director, President and CEO
[Business] Research, development, and sales of fusion energy plants
*1 High-Temperature Superconductors (HTS)
Superconductivity is a phenomenon in which electrical resistance becomes zero below a certain temperature. Superconductors are broadly classified into low-temperature superconductors (metallic superconductors), which require cooling with liquid helium (boiling point: −269°C), and high-temperature superconductors (oxide superconductors), which exhibit superconductivity even at liquid nitrogen temperatures (boiling point: −196°C).
Fujikura has been engaged in the development of HTS for more than 30 years and has been a global leader in this field. Fujikura's focus is on rare-earth-based HTS: an oxide superconducting material composed of rare-earth elements is epitaxially grown on a tape-shaped metal substrate (such as a nickel-based alloy) via intermediate buffer layers, producing a tape that maintains high performance even in ultra-high magnetic fields. It is expected to see wider adoption in next-generation superconducting equipment in the future. Fujikura supplies HTS worldwide to fusion energy development projects primarily in Japan, the United States, and Europe, and is expanding its production capacity to meet growing demand.
