# Oklo **Source:** https://geo.sig.ai/brands/oklo **Vertical:** Climate & Energy **Subcategory:** Advanced Nuclear (SMR) **Tier:** Emerging **Website:** oklo.com **Last Updated:** 2026-04-14 ## Summary Oklo (OKLO) is a next-generation fission company developing advanced small modular nuclear reactors for clean baseload power. Has a 20-year power agreement with data center operator Switch. HQ: Santa Clara. ## Company Overview Oklo Inc. is a next-generation nuclear fission company developing advanced compact fast fission power plants that use spent nuclear fuel as their primary energy source. Founded in 2013 by Jacob DeWitte and Caroline Cochran, Oklo's Aurora powerhouse design is a compact, walkaway-safe fission plant generating 1.5–15 megawatts of electricity — sized for data centers, defense installations, remote communities, and industrial facilities that require reliable, carbon-free power off the main grid. The company went public through a SPAC merger with AltC Acquisition Corp in May 2024, backed by Sam Altman. Oklo filed a Combined License Application (COLA) with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in 2020 for a demonstration plant at the Idaho National Laboratory site, though the NRC ultimately rejected the application in 2022 for insufficient information — a setback the company is addressing with a new application. Despite this regulatory obstacle, Oklo has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with Switch (a major data center operator) and has multiple letters of intent for power delivery, demonstrating commercial demand for small nuclear solutions. The company's advanced fast fission approach uses metallic fuel rather than traditional uranium oxide, enabling the reactor to use recycled nuclear fuel from conventional nuclear plants. This addresses both waste management (valorizing spent fuel) and fuel security (reducing dependence on enriched uranium supply chains) simultaneously. As AI-driven data center electricity demand surges and technology companies seek carbon-free baseload power alternatives to natural gas, the market timing for small modular reactors is increasingly favorable. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What does Oklo build? Oklo develops compact nuclear fission power plants (Aurora powerhouses) producing 1.5–15 MW of carbon-free electricity, designed for data centers, defense installations, and remote industrial sites that need reliable off-grid clean power. ### What makes Oklo's reactor different? Oklo's fast fission reactor uses metallic fuel (including recycled spent nuclear fuel from conventional plants) rather than traditional uranium oxide fuel rods — potentially enabling fuel recycling that reduces nuclear waste while improving fuel security. ### What is Oklo's ticker? Oklo Inc. trades on the NYSE under the ticker OKLO after going public via SPAC merger with AltC Acquisition Corp in May 2024. Sam Altman is a major backer and board member. ### What is Oklo's power purchase agreement with Switch? Oklo signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with Switch, a major data center operator, to supply clean nuclear power from Oklo's planned small modular reactors — one of the first commercial nuclear power contracts for an advanced reactor company. ### How does Oklo's fuel recycling approach work? Oklo's fast reactors can use recycled spent nuclear fuel (the high-level waste from conventional light-water reactors) as fuel. This addresses the nuclear waste problem while extending the energy extracted per unit of uranium. Oklo has a partnership with the Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory to access spent fuel for its demonstration reactor. ### Why is there growing interest in small modular reactors for data centers? Data centers require enormous amounts of reliable, uninterruptible baseload power — exactly what nuclear excels at. As hyperscalers face grid constraints and pressure to decarbonize, dedicated small nuclear plants co-located or grid-connected to data center campuses offer a compelling alternative to fossil backup generation and renewable intermittency. ### What is Oklo's regulatory pathway? Oklo received a combined license application (COLA) from the NRC for its first Aurora powerhouse at the Idaho National Laboratory site. The NRC review is an extended process; Oklo has been one of the first advanced reactor companies to complete the licensing application process, gaining regulatory experience that is a barrier to entry for competitors. ### Who are Oklo's target customers beyond data centers? Oklo targets defense installations and remote military bases that require energy independence, industrial facilities in remote locations with high energy costs (mining, oil sands), and eventually grid utilities seeking small modular nuclear to replace retiring coal plants — with data center operators being the highest-urgency near-term market given AI compute demand growth. ## Tags energy, startup, public, b2b --- *Data from geo.sig.ai Brand Intelligence Database. Updated 2026-04-14.*