FEI Monthly Round-up – August 2026

Welcome to our round-up of what’s been happening in fusion and within Fusion Energy Insights over the past month.

3 Top Fusion News Stories

Singular Machines spins out of UKAEA with investment and Arup contract

UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) has spun out engineering automation company Singular Machines to commercialise AI technology developed from work in fusion. The company has completed a strategic investment round led by the UK Innovation and Science Seed Fund and Oxford Science Enterprises, with participation from Arup and Japan's Miraisozo Investments.

Singular Machines is developing coEngen, an agentic AI platform designed to automate complex engineering work while maintaining traceability, assurance and professional judgement. Arup has also signed a contract to use the platform and will provide technical, commercial and strategic support while testing it on real-world engineering workflows.

Dennis Whyte appointed next CEO of the UKAEA

Professor Dennis Whyte has been appointed CEO of the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) following an international recruitment process, and will start the role in autumn. Whyte will lead more than 2,600 staff across four sites, leading both the Culham Campus and UK Fusion Energy, the developer of the STEP programme. His appointment comes as the UK Government commits £2.5bn to fusion research, development and innovation over the next five years as it works towards fulfilling the UK Fusion Strategy.

Whyte's previous work at MIT includes 390 papers spanning HTS magnets, radio frequency heating, demountable magnets for modular maintenance and liquid immersion blankets. On top of this, he is also a co-founder of both Commonwealth Fusion Systems and Rutherford Energy Ventures, meaning that his commercialisation experience will be a key asset for the UKAEA.

TAE Technologies signs prospective lunar helium-3 supply agreement

TAE Technologies has signed a strategic agreement with Black Moon Energy Corporation (BMEC) to establish a prospective helium-3 (He-3) fuel supply option for its future fusion power plants. Under the agreement, BMEC plans to supply helium-3 sourced from future lunar mining operations, while the companies will also collaborate on commercial development activities.

TAE says the agreement complements its ability to use multiple fuel cycles (pB, DHe3), giving it flexibility to choose the most competitive option as future fuel markets develop. The announcement comes as TAE prepares for its first 50 MWe da Vinci power plant, which it expects to begin operating in 2031.

FEI Premium subscribers can read our insights on all these stories in our FEI Premium space on our Circle community platform, along with all back-issues of our weekly newsletters. Sign up to our newsletter for free to get them for yourself week to week.

Star Builders: How Fusion's Map went from a Conference Room to Four Continents

This was our industry analysis “Graph of the Month” piece for the month of August, where we analysed the geographical growth of the fusion industry, including a discussion of where researchers concentrated their efforts and why.

By mapping the spread of fusion from research labs to private companies, we can chart a course for how the industry can continue to evolve.

Every month, our industry experts at Fusion Advisory Services pick a topic from the work that has been going on at FAS—something that gives some insight into significant trends, commercialisation considerations or fusion industry development.

FEI Premium subscribers can read the full article here.

Past Online Events

1st July: Spark Sessions with Valerie Jamieson – in this conversation we investigated Valerie’s perspective on fusion, drawing on experiences studying particle physics, to journalism and her role today in connecting the supply chain to fusion energy in the UK.

11th August: Our Lead Analyst Naomi Mburu spoke at the IAEA Fusion Energy Webinar: Entering the Global Fusion Supply Chain: A Practical Guide for SMEs

The discussion explored how SMEs can position themselves to enter the global fusion supply chain, where the opportunities are emerging, and the practical steps businesses can take to engage with the sector. Those interested can view the replay of the webinar here.

Looking Forward

As we prepare for the September issue of the Fusion Energy Insights Quarterly publication, we have Briefing sessions and a Technical Discovery Exchange event upcoming in the months of August and September.

27th August: FEI Quarterly Briefing on Fusion Energy activity in the US & Canada, with Andrew Holland from the Fusion Industry Association and Axel Meison from the Fusion Energy Council of Canada.

2nd September: FEI Quarterly Briefing on Fusion Energy activity in the EU & UK with Olga Bakardzhieva and Tristram Denton from the Fusion Industry Association.

2nd September: FEI Quarterly Briefing on Fusion Energy activity in Asia with Kohei Yamamoto and Jinwu Kim. Dr Nitendra Singh will provide his briefing update separately.

23rd September: Technical Discovery Exchange on Insuring Fusion: How Insurance Is Shaping Fusion’s Path to Commercialisation.

Dr Melanie Windridge will speak to Chief Legal Officer, David Tressler at CFS and Zemfira Knott, Director at NC Fusion to explore what it will take to make fusion insurable and what the opportunity looks like from both sides. FEI Premium subscribers can join by clicking ‘attending’ on their Circle account. Those interested can become an FEI Premium subscriber here, before the event to make sure they can attend.