Balerion Senior Associate Aidan Daoussis sits down with Zeno Power Co-Founder & CEO Tyler Bernstein to discuss persistent power for space and maritime, and scaling radioisotope power systems.
00:00 – IntroductionAidan introduces Tyler Bernstein and Zeno Power, a portfolio company building nuclear batteries capable of operating from the deep ocean to deep space.
01:00 – What Is a Nuclear Battery?Overview of radioisotope power systems: converting decay heat into electricity, long-duration operation, microwave-oven-sized form factor, and historical precedent (NASA RTGs, maritime buoys, Arctic sensors).
04:30 – Company Origin StoryZeno’s roots at Vanderbilt University, early work on nuclear-powered aviation concepts, and evolution toward radioisotope power as the most practical frontier-energy solution.
07:15 – The Lunar Night ProblemWhy solar fails on the Moon’s two-week night, and how nuclear batteries enable persistent surface operations for years instead of days.
10:30 – Target Markets: Government FirstU.S. Navy seabed sensors, NASA lunar surface systems, Space Force missions, and why government acts as the beachhead customer.
12:30 – Commercial Follow-On MarketsDeep-sea mining, offshore energy, seabed infrastructure protection, ISRU, helium-3 mining, distributed lunar PNT nodes, and commercial space operations.
15:30 – Fuel Choice & Isotope StrategyUsing abundant nuclear waste products rather than scarce Pu-238; discussion of strontium-90 and its decay chain.
18:30 – Product ArchitectureThermal-to-electric conversion approach, modular design, reliability advantages, and ruggedization for extreme environments.
22:00 – Manufacturing & Facility PlansOperationalizing Zeno’s nuclear facility, handling and encapsulation processes, and scale-up considerations.
26:00 – Competitive LandscapeWhy few companies operate in this space, regulatory barriers, isotope supply constraints, and Zeno’s differentiation.
30:00 – Safety & Regulatory PathLicensing, material handling, transport considerations, and working with federal partners.
33:30 – Performance EnvelopePower levels, longevity, degradation curves, and use cases where “small but constant” beats large intermittent power.
37:00 – Pairing with Other Power SystemsHybrid concepts with batteries, diesel generators, and solar to provide trickle-charging and baseline power.
41:00 – Economics & Pricing LogicValue framed around persistence and mission enablement rather than lowest $/kWh.
45:00 – Long-Term VisionBuilding the nuclear battery market to enable persistent operations anywhere on or off Earth.
49:30 – Platform ExpansionFuture growth beyond batteries: medical isotopes (yttrium-90), vertical integration, and broader nuclear technology platform.
50:30 – Near-Term MilestonesOperational nuclear facility this year, first maritime and space deployments in 2027, path to $100M+ revenue and profitability.
52:00 – Audience Q&AHybrid vehicles, energy storage pairing, and future application areas.
55:00 – Closing ThoughtsZeno’s ambition to become the foundational provider of persistent, infrastructure-grade power for frontier environments.
