Valar Atomics’ Isaiah Taylor: Solving AI’s Energy Crisis With Nuclear ‘Gigasites’

The Upstarts Podcast chats with one of nuclear's energy's brashest new startup champions, as Valar has raised $150M to build 'energy campuses.'

Experts have called Valar Atomics CEO Isaiah Taylor “totally nuts.”

He responds that when you’re trying to build a trillion-dollar company that’s literally splitting the atom, it comes with the territory.

On our new episode of The Upstarts Podcast, Isaiah goes into his origins founding nuclear energy startup Valar; discusses why other well-funded startup competitors have struggled; and talks about his Upstart Moment on the road to raising $150 million for new-look energy campuses called “gigasites.”

His life’s work: to solve AI’s energy crisis –and keep America on pace with China and Russia globally.

“Safety is non-negotiable, but also safe and slow are not the same thing,” Taylor says.

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• Listen on Apple Podcasts

• Listen on Spotify

Chapters:

00:58 Isaiah’s founder journey
4:18 Why nuclear startups fail
5:55 The case for small reactors
8:36 AI’s energy demands
12:04 Isaiah’s Upstart Moment
14:11 China and the global energy race
19:18 Speed as safety
22:47 Splitting the atom
27:50 Building energy campuses
29:16 Isaiah’s advice for his earlier self

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A big thanks to Mercury, our presenting sponsor this season!

If you enjoy the episode, please consider giving us a review, and comment wherever you watch/listen – then share it with a friend!

It makes a huge difference and will help this show reach the audience we hope that you agree it deserves. Three episodes into the show, we’re having so much fun, and we have a killer lineup of founders to share with you over the next few months.

(Catch episode 1 with Canva’s Melanie Perkins here, and episode 2 with Loyal’s Celine Halioua here).

Now for paid subscribers, we break down our three favorite takeaways below, and why we think they’re significant for startups to keep in mind — including how ‘move fast and break things’ translates over to building a nuclear power reactor.

• Lesson 1: If you can’t join ‘em, beat ‘em

• Lesson 2: Modular manufacturing

• Lesson 3: Speed as safety