For generations of women, the logic has seemed airtight: Focus on a career in your 20s, and worry about starting a family once you are established in a job.
This mindset has catapulted women into higher-earning positions, and into traditionally male-dominated fields. The share of women in their prime working years who are in the workforce is around a record high. And women are having babies later, if they have them at all. The answer to fertility constraints, they’re told, is egg freezing.
Okta (OKTA) has been catching investors’ attention lately, as its stock price has seen a dip of nearly 10% over the past month. This movement has prompted fresh discussion about the company’s current valuation and future prospects.
See our latest analysis for Okta.
Zooming out, Okta’s 1-year total shareholder return is up just 2.8% even as the stock price has given back nearly 10% this month. This shows that momentum has faded after a volatile stretch of gains and setbacks. Most recently, the company saw its share price return slip by 14.5% over the last 90 days, which could reflect investors recalibrating expectations around its growth potential and risk profile.
If you’re curious to see what other growth stories are developing beyond Okta, now’s a smart moment to check out fast growing stocks with high insider ownership.
With shares lagging and trading at a notable discount to analyst price targets, the question now is whether Okta’s current weakness signals an undervalued opportunity or if the market already reflects all of its potential upside.
Compared to Okta’s last close at $78.68, the most popular narrative pegs fair value above $120. This supports a bold thesis centered on cloud identity growth and increasing security needs.
The proliferation of AI agents and nonhuman identities is creating new, urgent security use cases that require sophisticated identity governance, privileged access management, and policy controls. These are areas where Okta is innovating (Cross App Access, Auth0 for AI Agents, Axiom acquisition), opening incremental growth avenues and potential margin expansion through higher-value and differentiated products.
Read the complete narrative.
Want to know what financial forecasts power this striking discount? The foundation here is aggressive profit expansion, ambitious margin targets, and revenue acceleration that could catch the market off guard. Find out which key growth bets and financial leaps are at the heart of this narrative. Are the numbers bold enough to deliver on the massive upside?
Result: Fair Value of $120.37 (UNDERVALUED)
Have a read of the narrative in full and understand what’s behind the forecasts.
However, ongoing cybersecurity consolidation and execution risks from frequent product expansions could quickly challenge Okta’s growth story if there are any missteps in integration or innovation.
Find out about the key risks to this Okta narrative.
Shifting focus from growth assumptions to how the market values Okta compared to its peers shows a less optimistic picture. Okta currently trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of 82.6x, notably higher than the US IT industry average of 27.8x and its peer average of 28.1x. The fair ratio for Okta, based on broader trends, stands at just 40.7x. This sizable gap could indicate more downside risk if investor sentiment reverts to the mean. Are markets getting ahead of themselves, or will Okta’s earnings prove robust enough to justify such a premium?
See what the numbers say about this price — find out in our valuation breakdown.
NasdaqGS:OKTA PE Ratio as at Nov 2025
If you have a different perspective or want to dig into the numbers yourself, you can build your own viewpoint in just a few minutes, your way. Do it your way.
A good starting point is our analysis highlighting 4 key rewards investors are optimistic about regarding Okta.
There’s no reason to limit yourself to just one opportunity. Use the Simply Wall Street Screener and uncover unique stocks before others even notice.
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Companies discussed in this article include OKTA.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
Earlier in November 2025, Restaurant Brands International announced a joint venture with Chinese asset manager CPE to grow Burger King’s restaurant count in China from about 1,250 to more than 4,000 locations by 2035, backed by a US$350 million investment from CPE.
This move aligns with RBI’s strategy of expanding via franchise-led models and underlines the significance of China’s rapidly growing consumer market for global quick-service restaurant brands.
We’ll consider how this ambitious partnership and expansion plan could influence the company’s investment narrative and future growth opportunities.
Outshine the giants: these 25 early-stage AI stocks could fund your retirement.
To be a shareholder in Restaurant Brands International, you need to believe in the company’s ability to drive profitable growth through its global franchise model, while balancing the risks of international expansion and margin pressures. The recent China joint venture is a meaningful step for long-term unit growth but, in the near term, does not materially resolve the biggest risk: the potential for margin compression from persistent commodity inflation and competitive discounting, especially in the key U.S. and international markets.
The recently completed US$1.21 billion follow-on equity offering stands out in the context of these expansion plans. This fresh capital further strengthens RBI’s ability to fund initiatives like the ambitious China partnership, reinforcing the company’s commitment to international growth as a primary catalyst, while also highlighting the need for disciplined capital allocation should near-term pressures on margins intensify.
By contrast, investors should be aware that executing large-scale international growth ventures can introduce risks that…
Read the full narrative on Restaurant Brands International (it’s free!)
Restaurant Brands International’s outlook anticipates $10.1 billion in revenue and $2.0 billion in earnings by 2028. This is based on a 3.5% annual revenue growth rate and a $1.1 billion increase in earnings from the current $862.0 million.
Uncover how Restaurant Brands International’s forecasts yield a $78.25 fair value, a 11% upside to its current price.
QSR Community Fair Values as at Nov 2025
Simply Wall St Community fair value estimates for Restaurant Brands International range from US$43 to nearly US$87 across 4 separate perspectives. While these views underscore broad uncertainty, the recent China expansion plans highlight that international initiatives can significantly shape future performance, reminding you to explore several alternative viewpoints before making up your mind.
Explore 4 other fair value estimates on Restaurant Brands International – why the stock might be worth 39% less than the current price!
Disagree with existing narratives? Create your own in under 3 minutes – extraordinary investment returns rarely come from following the herd.
Our top stock finds are flying under the radar-for now. Get in early:
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Companies discussed in this article include QSR.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
Zak Haddad has been kickstarting his day with a cup of coffee infused with lion’s mane – a type of mushroom – for the past three years.
He says it gives him a “really clear, focused feeling”, without the “spike and crash you can sometimes get from strong coffee”.
Coffees made with extra ingredients like mushrooms, protein and collagen are known as “functional coffees” – which aim to provide consumers with benefits beyond the typical caffeine boost.
For years they’ve been a familiar sight in the aisles of health food stores, but more recently they’ve been cropping up in high street coffee shops too.
So when Zak opened his own coffee shop – Sipp in Chorlton, Greater Manchester – in late 2023, he was eager to include mushroom coffees on the menu.
Zak’s shop has four different types of mushroom powder on its menu, which he says all have different benefits. Customers can pay an extra £1 to add a mushroom powder or a supplement called collagen to drinks from lattes to cappuccinos.
Zak Haddad
Zak has been drinking lion’s mane coffees for three years
‘From niche wellness corners into the mainstream’
Coffee made with mushrooms, like lion’s mane, reishi and chaga, are believed to give people better focus “without the jitters of regular coffee”, according to nutritionist Eli Brecher, though she notes that research is still ongoing.
Over the past year as demand has risen, health food chain Holland and Barrett has almost doubled its range of mushroom coffees, it told the BBC.
Coffee giant Starbucks started selling barista-made protein coffee in its US stores in September, with high-protein milk and cold foam. In the UK, you can pick up a bottle of Starbucks’ pre-made protein coffee from the fridges at its coffee shops and in supermarkets, where it might be sold alongside chilled protein coffees by other brands such as Jimmy’s and Emmi.
Food research company Tastewise lists functional coffee as one of its top trends for 2026. It found the number of mushroom coffees on UK coffee shop menus has grown 30% over the past year.
“Functional coffees are shifting from niche wellness corners into the mainstream,” says Ms Brecher, who herself drinks mushroom coffee. She says people are becoming “much more interested in wellbeing, stress support and energy stability”, and that adding extra ingredients to a cup of coffee “feels like an easy upgrade, rather than an overhaul”.
Rii Schroer
Nutritionist Eli Brecher says coffee made with mushrooms is believed to give people better focus “without the jitters”
The Black Sheep Coffee chain has been offering scoops of protein powder and CBD as add-ons to its drinks for some time, but earlier this year, it launched its “functional health” latte range.
One, containing prebiotic fibres, aims to improve gut health. Another, with collagen, is meant to help people’s skin. But it’s the lion’s mane latte that is Black Sheep’s bestseller, according to Ben Fenton, their chief operating officer. And customer response to the drink has been “far beyond” what the company expected.
Customers add functional add-ons to about 15% of all coffee, matcha and smoothie orders from Black Sheep, he says.
Prices vary by location but at Black Sheep Coffee in Birmingham, adding a shot of lion’s mane to your coffee costs 99p, and a shot of collagen costs £1.09. So if you buy a functional coffee every day, rather than your regular one, over the course of a month you’ll spend about £30 more.
Meanwhile, in the US Starbucks customers are paying $1 (76p) to add high-protein milk or $2 (£1.52) to add high-protein cold foam to their coffee.
At Liverpool Street Station in London, not everyone I speak to seems enticed by the idea of paying extra for a functional coffee. And many say they haven’t come across the concept of coffees made with ingredients like mushrooms and ashwagandha – a herb some people think helps with stress – before.
Someone who is well-aware of the trend, however, is Mariam Begum.
Every day, the 31-year-old drinks coffee with a shot of collagen, a protein some people take in supplement form because they believe it will help their skin, joints and hair. And sometimes Mariam adds protein powder, too.
The self-described caffeine addict drinks three or four coffees a day. She’ll either make them at home with collagen she’s bought online or grab an iced coffee or flat white with collagen or protein from a coffee shopnear where she lives in London.
Unlike Mariam, Lauren Devlin, a former competitive power-lifter, has never bought a functional coffee from a cafe, but says she would if she ever saw them on a menu – even if she had to pay more.
For years, she’s been drinking both coffee and protein shakes every day. But about five years ago, the 38-year-old started combining the two.
She now buys instant coffee containing collagen and protein powder online to make at home, which she says makes her “feel fuller” than a regular coffee.
Lauren Devlin
Lauren Devlin likes to start her day with a protein coffee
So how does functional coffee actually taste? I ordered a lion’s mane coffee with oat milk from Black Sheep, dubbed its “brain blend”, alongside a regular oat-milk latte.
Andrew Salter, cofounder of mushroom drinks brand Dirtea, says lion’s mane in particular has a subtle taste, and I found there was next to no difference between my functional coffee and the regular one. The mushroom latte was possibly slightly more bitter, but my perception may have been affected because I was expecting it to taste different. The texture and appearance of both coffees seemed identical.
There’s still a lot of confusion about the purpose of functional coffee – Mr Salter says when he set up his brand “99.9% of people asked if they were going to get high”. But the mushrooms used in coffees, like lion’s mane, are a different species to magic mushrooms and aren’t psychoactive.
Grace Dean/BBC
My regular latte (left) and my lion’s mane coffee (right) were pretty much indistinguishable
Some who regularly drink functional coffees speak highly of their benefits.
Ana Richardson, who lives in Cardiff, says lion’s mane coffee made her feel like her brain “just started working” and it was easier to focus on one thing at a time after drinking it.
But the 29-year-old, who ordered lion’s mane online to add to coffees at home, found it expensive and switched to drinking lion’s mane tincture mixed into water instead.
Recently, Ana has also tried coffee with ashwagandha.
“I’m awake, but I’m not jittery,” she says of the drink. “I’m not anxious.”
‘An add-on, not a magic fix’
Research into the effect of lion’s mane’s on brain function is still in its early stages, but it is “promising”, according to nutritional therapist Rakhi Lad. But she notes most mushroom coffees on the high street use small quantities of lion’s mane, and that the quality can vary.
As for protein coffee, the general population “doesn’t really struggle” to get enough protein, says James Fleming, professor of sports nutrition at St Mary’s University. In general, only the elderly and professional athletes need to worry about adding extra protein to their diets, he explains.
The health benefits of functional coffees “vary quite a lot and for most people, they’re not essential,” says Bini Suresh, from the British Dietetics Association. Often the doses of functional ingredients in coffees “are too low to replicate the effects reported in research trials”, she adds.
“At present, there’s no robust evidence that lion’s mane in typical coffee doses can meaningfully improve memory, focus, or brain health.”
But the research is “still emerging”, says nutritionist Eli Brecher.
“So if it makes you feel good and you have the budget for it, then go ahead and enjoy,” she says. “But the key is to remember that it’s an add-on – not a magic fix.”
The government is expected to announce an extra £1.3bn in funding for a scheme encouraging the use of electric vehicles (EVs) at next week’s Budget.
The Electric Car Grant scheme started in July as part of the move to zero emission vehicles. The government says it has helped 35,000 switch to EVs.
However, early research suggests there is little indication the scheme has attracted entirely new buyers.
There will also be money to create more charging points, and a consultation on helping people without driveways to charge their cars.
It is also possible EV owners could face a new tax elsewhere in Wednesday’s Budget in the form of a pay-per-mile charge in future.
All new cars will have to be electric or hybrid from 2030, when a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars comes into force.
The Electric Car Grant scheme, which provides a discount of up to £3,750 on eligible vehicles, was launched with an initial fund of £650m.
New AutoMotive, a non-profit organisation supporting the UK’s transition to electric vehicles, found in a recent study that the scheme had yet to expand the market for EVs.
EVs covered by the scheme made up 23.8% of new registrations in September, the same as their share before the Electric Car Grant was announced, New Automotive said.
“It isn’t yet clear that it’s prompting consumers to consider buying cars that they wouldn’t have gone ahead and bought anyway,” David Farrar, policy manager for New AutoMotive, said at the time.
The Budget is also expected to announce a further £200m for speeding up the rollout of chargepoints across the UK.
Data from Zapmap shows almost 87,000 points across the UK, in about 44,000 locations. Those include places like supermarket car parks and lamppost chargers.
“The proposed funding will support the creation of thousands of chargepoints and provide extra resources for local authorities to ramp up charging infrastructure on local streets – making it easier for everyone to access reliable charging, including those without off-street parking,” the government said.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves, it added, was “expected to publish a consultation on Permitted Development Rights to make it easier and cheaper for people without a driveway to charge”.
However, it is also possible that EV owners could face a new tax in the Budget in the form of a pay-per-mile charge from 2028.
A government spokesperson told the BBC earlier this month: “Fuel duty covers petrol and diesel, but there’s no equivalent for electric vehicles. We want a fairer system for all drivers.”
Reeves is being urged not to raise taxes on drivers overall, with campaigners preparing to deliver a petition to Downing Street early next week which calls for fuel duty, long frozen, not to be increased.
Richard Holden, the shadow transport secretary, said that “handing out £1.5 billion in EV subsidies while hard-working taxpayers are squeezed dry” was “madness”.
“Ordinary families are facing increased taxes and spiralling inflation under Labour, yet the Government’s priority is handing out discounts on new electric cars,” the Conservative MP said.
Reeves is expected to increase some taxes in the Budget after saying she means to bring down NHS waiting lists, the national debt and the cost of living.
America’s most popular car brand is recalling more than one million vehicles (1).
On Oct. 30, Japanese vehicle manufacturer Toyota announced a sweeping recall of several models released between 2020 and 2023 as a result of malfunctioning backup cameras (2). The Toyota Newsroom stated that drivers of some Toyota and Lexus models could experience a blacked out or frozen camera when reversing, a violation of federal car safety standards (3) .
Some of the impacted models include the Camry, Highlander, and Prius. Toyota says affected drivers will be notified of the recall by late December 2025.
A faulty backup camera may not sound like a serious enough issue to send your car into the shop, but companies only issue recalls after receiving customer complaints and when there’s a verified safety risk (4). A malfunctioning backup camera can fail to alert drivers to obstacles, animals, or children in the rear of the car, and creates an additional blind spot for drivers of newer vehicles who aren’t used to having to look behind or check their mirrors when backing up (5).
It’s a hassle to deal with a vehicle that has been recalled, but it’s important to get the issue fixed. Here’s what drivers need to know.
Recalls are not uncommon: nearly 30 million vehicles in the U.S. were impacted by nearly 1,100 different recalls in 2024, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (6) .
If a driver is alerted to a recall, they should schedule service with the car dealership as soon as possible, especially if the issue presents a severe safety risk. Some recalls, like a faulty camera, may not present immediate risks. In this case, Toyota isn’t issuing notices to impacted drivers until December. But sometimes, your car might need an urgent fix.
Fortunately, it’s the manufacturer’s responsibility to pay for the fix. But returning your car to the road isn’t always smooth.
Car makers may announce a fix is needed before they are actually ready to make the repairs.
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According to Michael Crossen, lead auto technician at Consumer Reports, “Automakers may announce a recall before they’ve figured out how to handle the problem, because of federal reporting requirements. “
“If that happens, you’ll have to wait for a second notice to tell you that a repair is ready.”
Plus, since hundreds of thousands of vehicles will at least theoretically be going into dealerships for the same issue, there’s a chance the required part won’t be available, or that the next open appointment time isn’t as soon as you’d prefer.
What’s most inconvenient to impacted drivers, however, is when a dealership purposely drags their heels on repairs. Raymond Roth, director and automotive recalls practice leader at analysis firm Stout, says that since dealers don’t stand to make money from the recall repair, they might prioritize other work first.
“We have observed some instances of dealers telling vehicle owners that parts are not available when they actually were, because (the dealerships) viewed other repair work as being more profitable,” Roth told Consumer Reports (7).
If you have an impacted vehicle, the notice will probably come in the mail, and you may get more than one. If you receive a recall notice, call your car dealership to schedule the fix. Make sure it’s an authorized dealership that works directly with the recall issuer, and bring the recall letter with you.
And remember, the only cost to you is likely to be the time out of your day. You should consider asking the dealership for a loaner vehicle, especially if the issue has rendered your car undriveable or the repair will take hours or even days.
If your model is listed on a recall but you haven’t received a notice, don’t assume it’s not affected, as manufacturers have 60 days to issue notices (8). If you want to check whether your car has a current recall, you can enter your vehicle identification number (VIN) on the NHTSA’s recall checker (9).
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.
Experian (1); USA Today (2); Toyota (3); NHTSA (4); Arnold & Itkin Trial Lawyers (5); NHTSA (6); Consumer Reports (7); Lehigh Valley Acura (8); NHTSA (9)
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
CCP issues show-cause notices to 17 major private schools for selling logo-branded items at inflated prices
RAWALPINDI:
The Competition Commission of Pakistan has initiated action against major private schools across the country that sell notebooks, textbooks, uniforms, school ties, girls’ scarves and registers at extremely high prices by simply placing their school logos on them.
The Commission has issued show-cause notices to owners of 17 major private schools, seeking replies within two weeks. The move has been widely welcomed by private school associations, parents, citizen action groups, the District Bar Association, and stationers.
They said issuing notices alone is not enough; the action must be implemented strictly.
They demanded a complete ban on the sale of textbooks, notebooks, uniforms, shoes, ties, and school canteen items through specific shops only.
They stressed that stationery and uniforms for all government and private schools should be available at every open-market shop, which would encourage competition and reduce prices.
The competition commission has summoned the 17 schools within 14 days for selling school-logo textbooks, copies, uniforms and stationery at 200-300 per cent higher prices than the open market.
President of the All Pakistan Private Schools and Colleges Association, Irfan Muzaffar Kayani, said he fully supports the government’s action. He added that franchise schools are forced to sell logo-branded books and uniforms, as it is the decision of the owners, not the franchisees.
The association supports making all textbooks, copies and uniforms available in the open market. He said they provide some relief to students by offering 10 per cent of seats with free education and books.
President of the District Bar Association, Sardar Manzar Bashir, said the Bar and lawyers are taking the matter directly to the Rawalpindi Bench of the High Court, challenging excessive fees, registration charges, and the sale of logo-branded books and uniforms.
The Bar will request the court to set a strict timeline for creating a uniform national policy in consultation with all stakeholders.
Parents Chaudhry Shaukat and Haji Ibrahim said education and health have already become too expensive, and major private schools worsen the burden by selling logo-branded books and uniforms at prices up to 300 per cent higher. Parents, they said, are forced to bear this burden by cutting household expenses.
They warned that if the government limits itself to issuing notices without enforcement, it would also be considered complicit.
Stationer Waseem Ahmed said that just as meat, clothing, lentils, ghee, sugar, chicken, milk, and yoghurt are available in the open market, school textbooks, notebooks, and uniforms must also be sold openly.
This will encourage competition and reduce prices. “We are booksellers and sell items with minimal profit,” he said. Terming it a positive step by the Punjab government, he added that it would bring relief to people already crushed by inflation.
Earlier this week, Lumen Technologies launched its Lumen Defender Advanced Managed Detection and Response with Microsoft Sentinel and joined Meter in announcing an integrated WAN-to-LAN networking solution tailored for AI-driven enterprises.
These developments underscore Lumen’s commitment to expanding its digital security and connectivity ecosystem through deeper integrations with industry leaders and innovative platform offerings.
We’ll examine how the Microsoft Sentinel-powered cybersecurity launch enhances Lumen’s transformation story and investment considerations.
Outshine the giants: these 25 early-stage AI stocks could fund your retirement.
To be a Lumen Technologies shareholder, you need to believe in the company’s pivot toward enterprise fiber networks, digital security, and AI-driven connectivity as offsetting its legacy declines. This week’s cybersecurity and AI networking launches bolster Lumen’s platform credentials, but they do not materially shift the most important near-term catalyst: successful enterprise revenue scaling, nor do they reduce the biggest risk of persistent legacy revenue contraction and financial strain.
Of Lumen’s announcements, the Microsoft Sentinel-powered Advanced Managed Detection and Response stands out, reinforcing efforts to reposition beyond legacy assets and ride the AI data boom. However, the core challenge remains converting these innovations into durable, higher-margin recurring revenues fast enough to counterbalance ongoing declines and balance sheet pressures.
By contrast, investors should also be aware of the risk that…
Read the full narrative on Lumen Technologies (it’s free!)
Lumen Technologies’ narrative projects $11.8 billion revenue and $1.5 billion earnings by 2028. This requires a 2.7% yearly revenue decline and a $2.7 billion earnings increase from current earnings of -$1.2 billion.
Uncover how Lumen Technologies’ forecasts yield a $6.86 fair value, a 10% downside to its current price.
LUMN Community Fair Values as at Nov 2025
Ten community-generated fair value estimates for Lumen range from US$2.00 to US$14.50 per share, highlighting a wide spectrum of opinions among private investors on Simply Wall St. While many are focused on the growth potential in AI-driven network services, the persistent decline in legacy business continues to shape both expectations and uncertainty around Lumen’s future performance.
Explore 10 other fair value estimates on Lumen Technologies – why the stock might be worth as much as 91% more than the current price!
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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Companies discussed in this article include LUMN.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
For decades, the joke was that nuclear fusion would always be 30 years away. Harnessing the process that powers our sun here on Earth was a lofty thought experiment ripped from the pages of a science fiction novel that smacked of futurism rather than pragmatism. But in the last few years, the rate of technological breakthroughs has sped up astronomically, finally making commercial fusion a matter of when, not if.
Achieving fusion here on Earth requires staggering levels of heat – in the region of 100 million degrees Celsius – and costly materials capable of enduring and maintaining such temperatures. Due to incredible high barriers to entry, most fusion experiments are behemoth ventures funded and managed by national governments, or in the case of the world’s largest fusion experiment ITER, a consortium of six deep-pocketed nations and the European Union.
But as the AI boom continues to drive energy demand projections ever higher, the race for commercial nuclear fusion is becoming increasingly privatized as the tech sector becomes involved in research and development. Fusion has received a lot of buzz as a potential “holy grail” of clean energy, as it could provide virtually unlimited zero-carbon energy without generating any of the hazardous nuclear waste associated with nuclear fission.
Some of tech’s biggest names, including Bill Gates and OpenAI’s Sam Altman, are major proponents of nuclear fusion, believing that it will be critical to supporting the tech sector’s AI ambitions. “If you know how to build a fusion power plant, you can have unlimited energy anywhere and forever. It’s hard to overstate what a big deal that will be,” Gates wrote in an October essay. “The availability and affordability of electricity is a huge limiting factor for virtually every sector of the economy today. Removing those limits could be as transformative as the invention of the steam engine before the Industrial Revolution.”
Already, 12 different nuclear fusion startups have raised over $100 million dollars each. And some of these nuclear fusion startups, which can move and adapt much more quickly than massive government-backed ventures, are starting to rack up technological breakthroughs at an astonishing pace.
Just this week, a startup in the United States called Zap Energy – one of the 12 to have raised over $100 million in funding – announced the latest groundbreaking achievement in the field. The company revealed that they reached plasma pressures comparable to those found deep within the Earth’s crust in a presentation at the American Physical Society’s Division of Plasma Physics meeting in Long Beach, California this week.
“The researchers’ latest measurements showed electron pressures reaching 830 megapascals,” reports Interesting Engineering. “When both electrons and ions are accounted for, the total plasma pressure approached 1.6 gigapascals (GPa).” That’s 10 times the amount of pressure felt at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the deepest point in any of our oceans – or about 10,000 times the atmospheric pressure we feel at sea level.
The Seattle-based startup is using a Z-pinch experiment, which is a kind of system that uses electrical currents to create a magnetic field to control and contain plasma. As the field of fusion research becomes more diverse and competitive, approaches to achieving plasma are becoming more diverse as well. Whereas the oldest and largest experiments use tokamaks – huge donut-shaped machines that control plasma with magnets – and some of the most accomplished fusion experiments are laser-controlled, Z-pinch machines are emerging as a promising alternative.
Zap Energy’s newest prototype, the Fusion Z-pinch Experiment 3 (FuZE-3) device, enables the achievement of extreme pressures and temperatures in a system that is far more compact than leading alternatives. “The capability to independently control plasma acceleration and compression gives us a new dial to tune the physics and increase the plasma density,” Colin Adams, Zap Energy’s head of experimental physics, told Interesting Engineering. “The two-electrode systems have been effective at heating, but lacked the compression targeted in our theoretical models.”
This breakthrough alone is not enough to usher in commercial nuclear fusion, but it is one of many exciting milestones that prove that that once purely aspirational achievement is now just around the corner. And Zap Energy thinks that it’s FuZE-3 machine could be integral to that achievement. As Ben Levitt, Zap Energy’s R&D vice president, wrote in a recent press release,“[FuZE-3] was built and commissioned just recently, we’re generating lots of high-quality shots with high repeatability, and we have plenty of headroom to continue making rapid progress in fusion performance,”
By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com
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