Project Omega

Market position

An early-stage entrant in US nuclear fuel recycling, positioned against established reprocessing incumbents such as Orano. Reporting notes that the US has not reprocessed commercial used nuclear fuel for more than 50 years, with roughly 100,000 tonnes stored across more than 100 sites, and that most DOE-supported recycling efforts target fuel for reactors still in basic design.

Rather than producing fuel for reactors still in early design, the company pursues a consumer- and product-oriented approach to nuclear waste recycling, converting power isotopes into long-life batteries and drop-in power sources intended to reach market on a shorter timeline and without requiring infrastructure rebuilds. It also leverages proprietary processes developed in collaboration with national laboratories.

Technology

Project Omega uses proven chemistry processing techniques to recycle spent nuclear fuel and remove key isotopes, then converts those isotopes into radiovoltaic power sources that generate electricity from natural radioactive decay. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is testing and validating the nuclear batteries using isotopes such as strontium-90 and produced a working proof of concept within months. Initial core technology demonstrations were carried out at the company's Rhode Island laboratory, and the core technology has been demonstrated in a laboratory setting. The Zero Day Hybrid Power System packages these outputs into a transportable, intelligently managed hybrid energy platform.

Go-to-market

Initial go-to-market runs through federal channels: an ARPA-E partnership under the NEWTON programme, testing and validation at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory via DOE's Office of Technology Commercialization, and a Department of War contract reported as being finalized. Products for national security are marketed directly through the company's site, with consumer applications planned after further scaling.

US national security and defense customers, the intelligence community, space and maritime mission operators, and advanced nuclear reactor developers requiring fuel and critical materials; consumer applications are positioned as a future market.

Geography

Headquartered in Newport, Rhode Island, with an in-house laboratory there; some coverage describes the company as Washington, D.C.-based. Testing is conducted at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and target missions span US national security, space and maritime domains.

History

Founded in mid-2025 and registered that summer, the company conducted initial core technology demonstrations at its Rhode Island laboratory and operated in stealth until its public debut on 11 February 2026, when it announced an oversubscribed $12 million seed round. In the same period PNNL began testing its nuclear power system and the company disclosed an ARPA-E partnership and a Department of War contract in the process of being finalized.

Risks & controversies

Founder Stafford Sheehan left Air Company at the end of 2024 and two months later sued for wrongful termination, alleging he was fired for protected whistleblower activity; Air Company has disputed the allegations. The business also depends on government contracts, national laboratory access and regulatory pathways for handling spent nuclear fuel, and its technology remains at laboratory proof-of-concept stage.