2017

Steve learns about the dense plasma focus (DPF) fusion device when helping with the documentary Let There Be Light.

2018

The Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded to ultrafast lasers, which are also new. A thought forms.

2019

March 17th pub meeting with Paul in Aix-en-Provence (FR): “What about combining ultrafast lasers with a DPF?” “I don’t think anyone has tried it yet.”

2020

Steve moves back to Canada just in time for the pandemic.

2021

A comprehensive review of DPF scientific papers reveals a rich and underappreciated field of study, and many overlaps with the physics of mainstream magnetic fusion machines.

A test device is built with $200 in parts from China, a 3D printer, and a mason jar.

Steve reads Paul’s book a couple of times on what happens when you shoot things with ultrafast lasers, and enthusiasm grows.

2022

First trip to Eindhoven (NL), a prime location because it is home to ASML and Project Elpis has technical overlaps with EUV lithography, making the local expertise and supply chain very attractive. Gert and Steve start to hang out.

A deep dive into the world of ultrafast lasers. Steve learns to run the EPOCH laser simulation software.

The conceptual design for a micro fusion power plant is completed.

2023

Second trip: Paul, Gert, and Steve have dinner at a Bavarian restaurant in Cologne and formally commit to Project Elpis.

To maximize execution speed, the decision is made to proceed as an open science, not-for-profit focused research organization (FRO).

Joris starts his Masters project.

An extended period of EPOCH simulations to study laser pulse sequencing and complex geometries.

First approach to philanthropists.

2024

Miranda joins Project Elpis.

Third trip to Europe: Visits with potential strategic partners. The technical case is presented to several audiences for review.

Elpis Fusion is registered in Europe via the Estonian e-residency program.

The Juelich Supercomputing Center provides the first formal Letter of Support.

Meetings with several foundations, confirming that raising money for an ambitious fusion FRO is very difficult.

The first spin-off company, Nexus Fusion, is formulated to self-fund Project Elpis. It is focused on accelerating advanced materials development and offering reaction chamber wall design services.

2025

Gert frees up more time.

Nexus Fusion registers in Estonia and attends a fusion investor conference in Silicon Valley.

First Project Elpis investor! Feels amazing. The prototype machine will be called “Patricia.”

A crowdsourcing effort launches and immediately fizzles — will revisit in future.

A European Commission (EC) grant application is deferred — likely a mistake in hindsight.

Given the difficulty of funding FROs, the business model has evolved to FRO-inspired. Moral ambition is added to the project description.

Applied to the Big if True Science Accelerator (UK, DE) — not accepted — and The Creative Destruction Lab (CA) — partially accepted.

EuroHPC (EU) awards 15 million CPU hours on the LUMI (FI) supercomputer, running from August 1st of this year to July 31, 2026, with all results to be published in an open science journal.

Fourth trip to Europe: Again, many good conversations, including an extended meeting with a prominent startup accelerator.

Germany announces billions of euros in fusion funding, including a call for new concepts — hope springs eternal.

Five student projects start, including the first PhD candidate, who is funded by Fusion CDT (UK).

After decades in the wilderness, Canadian governments express meaningful support for fusion. A conversation starts around using Elpis to build a Fusion Center of Excellence in Western Canada.

A mini-engineering tokamak program at the University of Manchester begins in collaboration with Nexus and Next Step Fusion (LU).

The first clear appropriation of Elpis logic by another fusion startup — progress. No credit given, but as Silicon Valley luminary Steve Jobs said, “We have always been shameless about stealing great ideas.”

Nexus spearheads a win-win effort to open-source experimental data from publicly funded fusion laboratories to empower the growing fusion supply chain community.

2026

Elpis and Nexus submit four grant applications in January, with extensive writing support from AIs.

In the first 5 months, 20% of the LUMI computer time has been used. Paul is the hero so far, but Steve is picking up the pace — Claude Code to the rescue! One of the January grants is for two post-docs to take over and expand on this work.

Paul runs the inaugural Elpis magnetohydrodynamic simulation using FLASH (US).

Nexus remains on track to raise money early this year. In the meantime, test samples of advanced materials are ordered with funds borrowed from Elpis.

A promotional tour of Asia and the Middle East is being planned for March-April.