SANTA CLARA — Oklo Inc., a nuclear technology company, has signed a letter of intent to acquire Atomic Alchemy Inc., an Idaho-based company specializing in the production of radioisotopes. Oklo’s fast reactor and fuel recycling technologies produce valuable coproducts, such as radioisotopes, through their respective processes. The proposed acquisition builds upon the strategic partnership announced between Oklo and Atomic Alchemy earlier this year, demonstrating the opportunity to combine Oklo’s power generation and fuel recycling capabilities with Atomic Alchemy’s radioisotope production expertise to accelerate fuel production for Oklo’s powerhouses, and to create new revenue streams from radioisotopes.
Radioisotopes are essential for applications across healthcare, energy, industry, and technology and are expected to represent a $55.7 billion market opportunity by 2026, according to Research Nester, with demand expected to increase significantly over the next decade. According to the British Institute of Radiology, as the need for radioisotopes continues to rise, supply has struggled to keep pace due to aging reactor infrastructure and a fragmented global supply chain, which at present is dominated by Russia. Oklo aims to address this gap through reliable, U.S.-based radioisotope production facilities that leverage its core clean energy and fuel recycling technologies.
“The proposed acquisition is expected to enable Oklo to significantly broaden its impact, as our fast reactor and fuel recycling technologies allow us to produce radioisotopes as a coproduct,” said Jacob DeWitte, co-founder and CEO of Oklo. “By incorporating radioisotope production into our fuel recycling process, Oklo is establishing a complementary revenue stream and contributing to a more resilient radioisotope supply chain.”
Atomic Alchemy’s technologies also include capabilities to perform Neutron Transmutation Doping of silicon, or “NTD.” NTD is considered a “gold-standard” process that utilizes the neutrons produced in a nuclear reactor to convert some of the silicon atoms into phosphorus via nuclear transmutation. We believe NTD offers a superior method for semiconductor doping because an entire ingot can be doped prior to wafering; the dopant is distributed uniformly throughout the ingot; large volumes of semiconductor material can be irradiated in batches; the process can be used on more than one type of semiconductor; and NTD allows for fine-tuning the amount of dopant added. Given the current high level of demand for state-of-the-art semiconductors, we believe NTD capabilities may be transformative to the semiconductor industry.
Sam Altman, Chairman and Board Member of Oklo, commented on the proposed acquisition: “I deeply believe in the importance of abundance and reliable energy for the future, and Oklo’s proposed acquisition of Atomic Alchemy opens the door for nuclear technology to play an even greater role in solving critical energy, medical, and industrial challenges.”
Key highlights of the proposed acquisition:
- Leveraging Complementary Technology to Scale and Accelerate Fuel Availability: Radioisotopes can enhance the economics of nuclear fuel recycling and accelerate fuel availability for Oklo’s powerhouses through the sales of high-value radioisotopes.
- Expanding into an Attractive Market: This proposed acquisition diversifies Oklo’s business and market reach into new sectors such as biotech, pharmaceuticals, space, defense, and semiconductors.
- Establishing Domestic Radioisotope Production: Oklo and Atomic Alchemy intend to develop specialized radioisotope production capabilities with Oklo’s fast reactor technologies and Atomic Alchemy’s versatile irradiation reactor technologies to address urgent supply shortages in life-saving medical radioisotopes and advanced industrial applications.
- Accelerating and Diversifying Oklo’s Revenue Streams: Oklo expects to begin generating revenue from radioisotope production following the proposed acquisition, with initial revenues anticipated prior to completing the first radioisotope production reactors. This potential additional revenue stream is expected to diversify Oklo’s income sources.
Oklo proposes to acquire Atomic Alchemy for $25 million in an all-stock transaction (subject to customer adjustments). All Oklo shares issued to existing shareholders of Atomic Alchemy in connection with the transaction are expected to be subject to multi-year lock-ups. Upon closing, the proposed transaction is expected to have minimal immediate impact on Oklo’s operating cost structure, and the proposed transaction is not expected to impact Oklo’s previously announced 2024 outlook.
