Plasma, the fourth state of matter, is one of the most exciting frontiers in science. Best known for its role in powering fusion energy, plasma’s potential extends far beyond. From catalysis that enables ultra-efficient chemical transformations, to rocket propulsion, to next-gen AI chips, plasma opens entirely new pathways for innovation previously impossible.
That’s why HAX, SOSV’s hard tech startup development program, is doubling down on plasma with the announcement of the HAX Plasma Forge.
The new facility will be located in the Princeton, NJ area, and is backed by $49 million in joint funding ($24.5M each from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and SOSV) and developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL). It will serve as a hub for founders to commercialize cutting-edge plasma research into real‑world applications.
SOSV has already backed two pioneering plasma startups, including:
- Terra Fusion, which is developing centrifugal mirror fusion energy
- YPlasma, which uses plasma actuators to cool data center chips and control airflow over wind turbine blades
“There’s so much here. The best ideas have yet to come to unlock a lot of potential in the fusion space. And fusion is just the tip of the iceberg. Finding new uses for plasma in semiconductor manufacturing, where the state of matter already plays a role, could unlock new materials and processes. Spacecrafts could benefit from plasma thrusters, which are more fuel efficient than traditional thrusters. Harnessing plasma could also unlock entirely new ways to make chemicals like ammonia for fertilizer or fuel from CO2,” Duncan Turner, general partner at SOSV and global managing director at HAX told TechCrunch.
Plasma may be the least familiar state of matter, but its impact on climate and energy will be transformative.