What’s the deal? RTX Ventures, the venture arm of defence giant RTX, has taken a minority stake in laser fusion company Xcimer Energy in a late-stage round. The Denver-based startup develops scalable, multi-kilojoule-class pulsed-laser technology.

The two also signed a teaming agreement to explore integrating Xcimer’s lasers into RTX’s defence systems, aiming to give the US military new directed energy tools to counter airborne threats.

What’s the endgame? Xcimer wants to build the “biggest, brightest, and most powerful lasers” for both commercial fusion and air defence. It expects to deliver fusion energy to the grid by the mid-2030s.

The company argues the core challenge is the same for both markets: a laser that fires repeatedly and reliably at low cost per joule, while being mass-manufacturable and energy efficient. RTX will pair that with its combat-proven defence expertise.

Read the full Dealroom article here.