Balerion Principal Emerson Garnett sits down with Matt Loszak, Co-Founder & CEO of Aalo Atomics, to discuss factory-manufactured microreactors, data center power demand, and scaling nuclear energy.
In this conversation, Matt walks through Aalo’s core thesis: mass-manufacturing modular nuclear power plants purpose-built for AI data centers and other always-on loads, with cost targets measured in just a few cents per kilowatt-hour. The discussion spans Aalo’s rapid execution from a two-person founding team to a 140-person company. Aalo’s unprecedented pace toward criticality demonstrates how streamlined DOE authorization, factory-first design, and supply-chain realism are enabling a new nuclear deployment model. Emerson and Matt also explore why AI workloads are uniquely well matched to Aalo’s architecture, how this approach unlocks broader markets over time, and what a true nuclear renaissance could look like as demand for reliable baseload power explodes.
00:00–02:00 Introduction & Aalo’s MissionEmerson introduces Matt Loszak and frames Aalo Atomics’ goal: factory-manufactured, modular sodium-cooled reactors designed to deliver low-cost, always-on power for data centers and other large loads.
02:00–05:10 Company Trajectory & Unprecedented SpeedMatt outlines Aalo’s growth from a two-person startup to ~140 employees, the build-out of a 40,000-sq-ft pilot factory, and progress toward a commercial-scale 10 MW reactor under DOE authorization.
05:10–08:10 Factory-First Nuclear & Vertical IntegrationWhy Aalo designed for mass manufacturing from day one. Lessons from SpaceX and Tesla, and how extreme vertical integration avoids the schedule overruns that plagued traditional nuclear projects.
08:10–10:40 Reactor Design Choices & Competitive DifferentiationMatt contrasts Aalo’s approach with other nuclear companies—reactor sizing, fuel choices, and why many competitors are poorly matched to data-center demand.
10:40–13:30 Idaho National Lab Build-Out & Testing ProgressRapid construction timelines at INL, shipment of reactor modules, sodium handling tests from tens of pounds up to tens of thousands, and milestones toward zero-power criticality.
13:30–16:10 Capital Strategy & De-RiskingOverview of seed, Series A, and $100M Series B funding; SAFE notes; upcoming Series C plans; and how speed itself has become Aalo’s most important de-risking factor.
16:10–18:30 Inside the Pace of ExecutionWhat it feels like inside the company: intensity, long days, and “surfing a tsunami” of demand as nuclear energy meets unprecedented AI-driven load growth.
18:30–21:30 What Enables Aalo’s SpeedTeam quality, culture, supply-chain alignment, early capital access, and the impact of recent executive orders enabling faster DOE authorization.
21:30–24:40 Nuclear Renaissance & Market Structure ShiftWhy this moment differs from the first atomic age: standardized products, factory output, and demand finally large enough to justify true mass production.
24:40–26:40 Audience Question: Powering SpaceMatt explains why Aalo’s reactor architecture is well suited for space applications long-term, drawing parallels to SNAP-10A and discussing compactness, power density, and transportability.
26:40–29:50 Fuel Supply Chain & ManufacturabilityWhy Aalo chose LEU/UO₂ over HALEU/TRISO, the importance of existing supply chains, and how sodium cooling enables thin vessels and rapid fabrication.
29:50–32:00 The Aalo Pod ProductFive reactors plus one turbine per pod, 50 MW blocks, fast deployment timelines, high availability, and why this model aligns with hyperscaler economics.
32:00–33:40 Hyperscaler Interest & Early TractionLOIs and MOUs totaling ~10 GW, Crusoe partnership, and why being first to prove economics and scalability could create a SpaceX-style flywheel.
33:40–36:45 Vertical Integration vs. Buy DecisionsWhat Aalo will build in-house (PCHEs, pumps, potentially turbines) versus buy, and how bottlenecks evolve as production scales from tens to thousands of reactors per year.
36:45–38:30 Ownership & Operating ModelWhy Aalo will initially own and operate early deployments, then transition toward an OEM model with partners to accelerate scale and reduce capital drag.
38:30–39:55 Deployment TimelineZero-power criticality in the near term, first pod online by 2028, gigawatt-scale deployments by 2030, and potential for tens of gigawatts annually by the mid-2030s.
39:55–43:30 Policy, DOE Authorization & Regulatory AccelerationDOE authorization, NEPA changes, EAs and categorical exclusions, and how regulatory reform is compressing timelines from years to months or weeks.
43:30–44:55 AI & Permitting AutomationPartnerships with Microsoft and NVIDIA to use AI for generating and reviewing regulatory and permitting documents, further accelerating deployment.
44:55–47:25 Team & Leadership BenchKey hires from Marvel, Westinghouse, SpaceX, Bloom Energy, and hyperscalers—why experience across engineering, manufacturing, and finance matters.
47:25–49:00 Global Capital & Expansion StrategyInternational investors, regional deployment, and the long-term vision of continent-scale factories serving global energy demand.
49:00–49:50 Closing RemarksEmerson thanks Matt and invites the audience to connect with the Aalo team through Balerion for follow-up discussions.
