U.S. nuclear fusion startup draws investment from Itochu, SoftBank

PALO ALTO, California/TOKYO -- Trading house Itochu and telecom company SoftBank are investing in Blue Laser Fusion, a nuclear fusion startup in the U.S. headed by a Japanese Nobel Prize winner in physics that is developing a method for stable power generation using proprietary laser technology.

The two high-profile companies are the first strategic investors from the Japanese private sector in BLF, which aims to make the technology commercially viable around 2030.