Oklo

Oklo is a nuclear microreactor company developing compact fission reactors designed to power AI data centers, remote communities, and military installations. Founded in 2013 by Jacob DeWitte and Caroline Cochran, the company is backed by Sam Altman (OpenAI CEO) and went public in 2024.

Oklo's Aurora reactor is a compact fast reactor design that can use recycled nuclear fuel, potentially addressing both the energy and waste challenges of nuclear power simultaneously. The company signed a landmark 12 GW power purchase agreement with Switch (a major data center operator) and has broken ground at Idaho National Laboratory for its first commercial facility. Oklo's NRC design certification is under review.

Oklo represents the next generation of nuclear energy specifically designed for the AI era. As AI data centers require enormous amounts of reliable, carbon-free power, microreactors offer advantages over traditional nuclear plants: smaller size, faster deployment, ability to be sited near data centers, and modular scaling. Sam Altman's investment reflects the recognition that the AI industry's future depends on solving the energy challenge — and nuclear may be the most practical path to powering the coming explosion in AI compute demand.