Fundraising Fox

Justin Cohen

Founder

Founder at Maritime Fusion

San Francisco, California, United States

FoundedMaritime Fusion · YC

30 Under 30 2026 · Energy & Green Tech

About

Justin Cohen is a nuclear engineer and plasma physicist who previously held roles at Tesla, SpaceX, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, and NC State, as well as attended Columbia University. He now leads Maritime Fusion, developing fusion reactor technology.

LinkedIn ↗

Founder at Maritime FusionYC W25

Intro paths

YC

Justin went through Y Combinator (Winter 2025) — any YC alum in your network can reach them through the YC community.

GP

Their group partner at YC was Aaron Epstein, General Partner at Y Combinator — the partner who ran Maritime Fusion's batch and knows the company first-hand. YC profile ↗

→

In turn, Justin can intro founders to Maritime Fusion's investors below.

Maritime Fusion's investors · 4

Aera VCAvant LabsTrucks VCY Combinator

Co-founders at Maritime Fusion

JKJason Kaufmann
Jason KaufmannFounder

Experience

  1. Maritime FusionCo-Foundercurrent2024 — presentSan Francisco Bay Area
  2. TeslaSr. Systems Architecture / Design Engineer2023 — 2024
  3. TeslaSr. Test Engineer2022 — 2023
  4. TeslaHigh Voltage Abuse Test Engineer2021 — 2022San Francisco Bay Area
  5. Columbia EngineeringGraduate Research Assistant2020 — 2021New York, New York, United States
  6. SpaceXRadiation Effects Associate Engineer2020Hawthorne, California, United States
  7. Westinghouse Electric CompanyUndergraduate Design Project2019 — 2020Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina Area
  8. Atmospheric Plasma SolutionsR&D Intern2018 — 2020Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Area
  9. Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL)Research Intern2019Princeton, NJ
  10. Nano Extended Textiles Research GroupUndergraduate Researcher2018 — 2019Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Area
  11. Lawrenceville Plasma Physics, Inc.Engineering Intern2017Middlesex, NJ
  12. PULSTAR ReactorStudent Reactor Operator Training2016 — 2017North Carolina State University
  13. Weill Cornell Medical CollegeResearch Intern2015White Plains, NY

Education

  1. Columbia UniversityMaster of Science - MS, Applied Physics2020 — 2021
  2. North Carolina State UniversityBachelor of Science - BS, Nuclear Engineering2016 — 2020
  3. Nyack High SchoolAdvanced Regents Degree2012 — 2016

Skills & more

3D Printing4Spectroscopy6Radiation Effects2MCNPThermal Hydraulics1Economic Data AnalysisPlasma Diagnostics1Heat Transfer1Laser CuttingSolderingElectromechanics1Finite Element Analysis (FEA)
+12 morePower ElectronicsComputer-Aided Design (CAD)Public SpeakingLeadershipMatlabPython (Programming Language)Computer Numerical Control (CNC)Microsoft OfficeC++GitNeutronicsMachining & Fabrication
  • Radioactive Material Safety Certification — North Carolina State University

From Justin's professional profile.

Same school

Also attended Columbia University552

Ben HorowitzCo-founder & General Partner at Andreessen HorowitzDoug LeonePartner at Sequoia Capital; former Global Managing PartnerChris DixonFounder & Managing Partner of a16z crypto at Andreessen HorowitzGabriella GiglioHR & Executive Talent at General CatalystScott BillerInvestor at GV (Google Ventures)Erica VanInvestment Director at Intel Capital

+ 546 more

Also attended North Carolina State University63

Eric WagnerVP of Research and Data at Redpoint VenturesBrent BlakeVenture Partner at TFX CapitalBill NusseyPartner at Tech Square VenturesSteve AngelAdvisor at Industrious VenturesMelissa WhitingAssistant Controller at Red Cell IncubationDon HolzworthFounder & Former CEO, Constella Group at Bull City Venture Partners

+ 57 more

Shared employers

Also worked at Maritime Fusion1

Jason KaufmannFounder at Maritime Fusion

Also worked at Tesla93

Steve JurvetsonCo-founder of Future VenturesArpan ShahInvestor at Spark CapitalJustin LiuVice President at Sapphire VenturesErica WaichmanHead of People & Community at Canvas VenturesBen FawEntrepreneur-in-Residence at Context VenturesBrock CsiraInvestor at Matter Venture Partners

+ 87 more

Also worked at Columbia Engineering5

Aditya NaganathPartner at KPCBCooper BatesAnalyst at Clean Energy VenturesAlessandr PiolGeneral Partner at AlphaPrime VenturesMoawia EldeebFounder/CEO at TempoGaurav PaliwalFounder at ValCtrl

Also worked at SpaceX91

Roelof BothaAdvisor & former Steward at Sequoia Capital; SpaceX board memberSteve JurvetsonCo-founder of Future VenturesAsanka JayasuriyaPortfolio Support at 8VCJustin RoseInvestment Team at 8VCGARRY HILLInvestment at Makers FundBrannon JonesPrincipal at AlleyCorp

+ 85 more