Nuclear Startups Meet the Market... 'Atomic NEST' Demo Day to Be Held

The Korea Nuclear International Cooperation Foundation (KONICOF) and deep-tech accelerator Bluepoint Partners will host the 5th Nuclear Startup Academy Atomic NEST Demo Day.

A Bluepoint representative said on Oct. 19, “On Nov. 4 at 1 p.m., six teams that have launched startups based on nuclear and radiation technologies will present their business models to investors at the Town Hall on the third floor of Daejeon TIPS Town.” The event is sponsored by the Ministry of Science and ICT.

Nuclear technologies take a long time to validate and obtain regulatory approval, and they also require substantial upfront capital. Even when promising technologies emerge from research labs, they can be difficult to commercialize unless they can be translated into the language of the market. The Atomic NEST Demo Day brings nuclear technology and venture investment to the same table to bridge that gap.

This year’s Demo Day marks the third time the nuclear startup development model built by the foundation and Bluepoint has come to fruition. Over the past three years, the two organizations have combined the foundation’s network in the nuclear sector with Bluepoint’s experience in early-stage deep-tech investment, developing a process that spans selection, mentoring and investment connections.

Three incorporated startups and three pre-startup teams will present together. The incorporated startups taking the stage are Neurogos, with an MBSE platform specialized for nuclear power that integrates and manages information on SMR development; S-Welding, commercializing highly reliable PCHEs that use high-temperature heat from nuclear power; and Korea Nuclear Maintenance Technology, offering intelligent sleeving for steam generator and heat exchanger tubes at nuclear power plants.

The three pre-startup teams participating are Thermicron, developing high-efficiency heat dissipation systems based on ultra-precision 3D metal printing; NGEOL Propulsion, developing a next-generation plasma electric propulsion system for miniature satellite constellations powered by nuclear energy; and RDNX, providing precision assessment and design services for radiopharmaceuticals at the cellular level.

Choi Suim, head of Bluepoint’s Frontier Tech Team, said, “The teams cover a broad range of fields, from nuclear plant maintenance to space propulsion, and their growth has been so rapid that one of the pre-startup teams incorporated during the program.” She added, “At the Demo Day, investors will be able to see how much stronger these teams have become.”

Anyone interested in nuclear startups may attend the Demo Day. Registration is available via the QR code on the event poster.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.