Zeno Power

Zeno Power is a developer of radioisotope power systems (RPS), which are compact, long-duration power sources that convert heat from the natural decay of radioactive isotopes into electricity. The company was founded in 2018 by Tyler Bernstein, Jonathan Segal, and Jacob Matthews, who met as students at Vanderbilt University. Their initial concept, explored with the encouragement of Vanderbilt's Wond'ry innovation center, was to find zero-emission power sources for aircraft, which evolved into focusing on RPS for space and undersea applications. Bernstein serves as CEO, Segal as COO, and Matthews as CTO. Matthews, a West Point graduate with a Master's in Mechanical Engineering from Vanderbilt, and Bernstein, recognized on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, lead the company's technical and strategic direction.

The company's business model centers on designing, building, and selling these nuclear batteries to clients for whom traditional power sources like solar or chemical batteries are inadequate. Zeno targets markets in national security, scientific exploration, and commercial sectors, specifically for frontier environments such as deep space, the deep sea, and the Arctic. Revenue is generated through major contracts with government agencies, including over $60 million from the U.S. Department of Defense and NASA. Key government projects include developing RPS-enabled satellites for the U.S. Space Force, building nuclear batteries for U.S. Navy seabed operations, and creating a power source for NASA's lunar missions to survive the harsh lunar night.

Zeno's core product is a lightweight and affordable RPS that utilizes Strontium-90 (Sr-90), a radioisotope categorized as nuclear waste and available as a byproduct of nuclear fission reactors. Historically, Sr-90 systems were too heavy for many applications due to extensive shielding requirements. Zeno's patented innovation is a novel design that increases the specific power of the heat source, enabling the creation of more compact and versatile systems. This allows Zeno to offer a reliable power source that can operate for years without maintenance. In 2023, the company successfully demonstrated its first Sr-90 heat source prototype at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The firm has secured a supply of Sr-90 from the U.S. Department of Energy and is partnering with Westinghouse to fabricate the nuclear heat sources for its first commercial systems. With plans to deliver its first full-scale systems by 2027, Zeno has raised over $70 million in funding, including a $50 million Series B round in May 2025.

Keywords: radioisotope power systems, RPS, nuclear batteries, Strontium-90, space power, lunar exploration, deep sea power, national security technology, aerospace power, off-grid energy, radioisotope thermoelectric generator, RTG, Department of Defense contractor, NASA contractor, Vanderbilt University spin-out, Westinghouse partnership, long-duration power, clean energy, nuclear waste recycling, satellite power, seabed infrastructure, Arctic sensors, U.S. Space Force, U.S. Navy, extreme environment power