Kairos Power Secures Up to $100M From Samsung Group for Google-Bound Nuclear Reactor

Samsung C&T has agreed to invest up to $100 million in Kairos Power to support the construction of the Hermes 2 demonstration reactor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, which will supply power to Google's data centers.

The Investment Structure

The $100 million commitment breaks down into two components:

- $70 million in direct equity investment in Kairos Power

- Approximately $30 million in "in-kind" engineering services provided by Samsung C&T's construction teams

The deal is structured as a binding term sheet, subject to regulatory approvals.

Why Samsung C&T

Samsung C&T brings significant nuclear construction experience to the project. The South Korean engineering and construction group has helped build approximately a dozen nuclear reactors globally, including the Barakah plant in the UAE and units at South Korea's Uljin facility.

Under the agreement, Samsung C&T will join Kairos Power's integrated engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) team. Its initial scope covers power-generation systems and balance-of-plant equipment outside the main nuclear island.

Kairos CEO Mike Laufer said the partnership "reinforces the disciplined delivery model at the core of our commercialization strategy".

The Hermes 2 Reactor

The reactor Samsung is helping to build represents a significant technological departure from conventional nuclear plants.

Technology: Hermes 2 is a fluoride salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor (KP-FHR). It uses molten fluoride salt as a coolant instead of high-pressure water, allowing it to operate at near-atmospheric pressure. This reduces the risk of high-pressure failures and eliminates the need for massive pressure vessels.

Fuel: The reactor uses TRISO fuel — tiny uranium particles encased in layers of ceramic and carbon, then formed into billiard ball-sized spheres. This design is engineered to retain radioactive materials even under extreme temperatures.

Capacity and Timeline: The plant will generate 50 megawatts of electricity and is targeted to begin operations in 2030.

The Google Connection

The investment supports Kairos Power's broader agreement with Google, signed in 2024. Under that deal, Kairos will supply 500 megawatts of nuclear power by 2035 across a fleet of reactors.

Hermes 2's output will flow through the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) grid to Google data centers in Tennessee and Alabama, under a power purchase agreement signed in August 2025. This was the first PPA for an advanced reactor in the United States.

🏗️ Strategic Implications

The deal reflects a broader pattern of major technology companies moving beyond simply purchasing clean energy to directly financing the development of new generation sources. Google's involvement helped de-risk the project enough to attract Samsung's construction expertise.

For Kairos Power, Samsung's participation addresses one of the hardest challenges facing nuclear startups: transitioning from demonstration-scale projects to serial commercial deployment. After Hermes 2, Kairos plans to build six 75-megawatt commercial reactors in the southeastern United States, with the Oak Ridge site serving as a manufacturing and training hub.