Torrance's growing technology sector now includes something few residents might expect: nuclear reactor manufacturing.

Antares has raised $470 million in Series C financing, including $370 million in equity and $100 million in debt, to accelerate development and deployment of compact nuclear microreactors designed primarily for defense and space applications.

The financing follows a major technical achievement.

In June, Antares' Mark-0 experimental reactor reached criticality at Idaho National Laboratory—meaning the reactor established a sustained nuclear chain reaction. The company says it was the first privately developed non-light-water reactor to reach that milestone in the United States in more than four decades.

Antares is now working toward an electricity-producing Mark-1 reactor, with initial deployment to military customers targeted for 2028.

And Torrance is central to the effort.

Antares currently operates a large Torrance facility supporting reactor research, engineering and production. Current company recruiting materials describe a new 322,000-square-foot Torrance facility for collaboration, research and development, and production.

It's a remarkable addition to Torrance's increasingly diverse advanced-technology economy: alongside aircraft, satellites and autonomous drones, nuclear microreactors are now being developed and manufactured here too.

Article Link: Antares — Series C and Microreactor Deployment