Ilaria Rosella Pagliaro The company founded by Italian engineers lands on Nasdaq: raises $130 million and aims to change the future of clean energy
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An Italian company enters the heart of global finance today with a project that, if successful, could truly change the way we produce energy. It’s called Terra Innovatum and it’s a startup founded by a group of Italian physicists and engineers who dream of making nuclear energy smaller, safer and cleaner.
Today, October 17, 2025, the company will officially ring the bell at Nasdaq, the American stock exchange dedicated to technology companies, after completing its merger with SPAC GSR III Acquisition Corp. The operation brought in $130 million, funds that will be used to build the first 1 MW modular microreactor by the end of the decade.
From Italian laboratories to Wall Street: the dream of the “SOLO” microreactor
The project is called SOLO and promises to take nuclear energy out of large power plants. A compact reactor, the size of a shipping container, capable of producing electricity for hospitals, data centers, small industries or entire islands. A plug-and-play device, designed to be installed wherever constant, clean, zero-carbon energy is needed.
The heart of the technology is a modular microreactor that uses low-enriched uranium fuel (LEU) and standard market components. A choice that, according to the company, allows reducing costs and production times, making the system more accessible and sustainable compared to traditional nuclear power.
The project was developed in Italy, but today it speaks to the world. The main headquarters remains in Europe, while the operational part is in the United States, where regulators are already examining the dossier for approval of the first plant.
A favorable context: America returns to believing in “green” nuclear
The stock market debut comes at a time when the United States is breathing new enthusiasm for atomic energy. The race for artificial intelligence and the growth of data centers are increasing electricity demand, and the American government has introduced simpler rules for companies working on clean, low-emission technologies.
In this scenario, Terra Innovatum is not alone. Leading the new wave of nuclear startups is also Oklo, the company founded by Sam Altman, which in one year has seen its stock value grow by over 1,300%, reaching a market capitalization of $35 billion. But Terra Innovatum has an advantage: a more concrete approach and a strong European research base.
An Italian team and an industrial supply chain that speaks our language
Behind Terra Innovatum is a group of Italian physicists and engineers with extensive experience in the energy sector. Among them is Massimo Morichi, physicist and Chief Strategy Officer, who led the SOLO™ project until the submission, in 2025, of documentation to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for certification.
The plan is ambitious: obtain approval by 2027, build the first test plant in Rock City, Illinois, and reach commercial reactor status by 2030. According to internal estimates, the first unit will cost approximately $70 million, covered by funds raised on Nasdaq.
The startup has already signed agreements with major industry names such as Paragon Energy, Caen, Baker Hughes and the Italian company ATB Riva Calzoni, which will handle key components. In parallel, it collaborates with the RAIT 88 center, specialized in defense and innovation, to accelerate production and technical training.
The next steps
To move from prototypes to serial production, a complete industrial supply chain will be needed. According to Terra Innovatum, the network of companies already involved would allow building up to 400 microreactors per year, but it will be necessary to involve new investors and strengthen the nuclear supply chain. Beyond energy production, the company also targets the medical radioisotope sector, used in diagnostics and cancer therapy, a rapidly growing market.
And the connection with Italy remains strong: Morichi stated he wrote to Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin to present the project in our country, with the goal of training skills and creating qualified jobs in the field of innovative nuclear energy. Today Terra Innovatum represents a bold bet: bringing nuclear power on a smaller scale, more sustainable and accessible. But many uncertainties remain. Regulatory approvals are complex, timelines are long and costs are high.
The first operational prototype, scheduled for 2029, will be the real test. If it works, Terra Innovatum could pave the way for a new generation of European modular reactors, capable of guaranteeing clean and stable energy even far from large power plants. For now, the dream has just begun.
Source: TerraInnovatum
