We got busy with our heads down making progress and neglected to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Deep Isolation.
Deep Isolation was founded on June 13, 2016. I met Liz and Rich Muller that same year when I was CEO of Waste Control Specialists. They came to visit because WCS was the only company that had successfully obtained a new Part 61 license since the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act was passed. They wanted to learn about stakeholder engagement, licensing, and operations and we discussed it all and took them on a tour of the facility.
I then joined Deep Isolation full time in 2018. At the time, the company had a handful of employees and consultants, a few patents, and about twelve months of cash runway. I had never worked at a startup before, and I certainly knew that nuclear waste disposal isn’t an industry for people looking for quick wins. But the mission was compelling. How often do you get the opportunity to help solve a problem that has challenged the world for more than 70 years?
The reality is that most startups never make it to their tenth birthday. Many don’t survive their first few years. Building a startup is difficult under any circumstances. Building one in the nuclear industry, focused on one of the toughest technical and societal challenges we face, is even harder.
Ten years later, we’re still here—and stronger than ever.
When Deep Isolation started, both the company and deep borehole disposal were viewed as outsiders. We weren’t born out of the traditional nuclear establishment. We came out of Silicon Valley with an unconventional idea: use proven drilling technology to solve one of nuclear energy’s oldest problems. Boreholes were often viewed as a fringe concept rather than a practical disposal solution.
That has changed.
Through years of technical progress, engagement with governments and regulators around the world, and a lot of persistence from our team, deep borehole disposal has become part of the mainstream conversation about the future of nuclear waste disposal. Today it is increasingly recognized as a practical complement to mined repositories, particularly for waste streams that need additional disposal options.
Our technology has grown right alongside that change in perception. We started at Technology Readiness Level 1 with an idea grounded in sound science. Today we’ve advanced to TRL 6, demonstrating the technology in relevant environments and reaching the point where it is ready for licensing. That’s a tremendous amount of progress in just one decade.
Innovation has been a big part of that journey. Deep Isolation filed its first patent application in 2016. Ten years later, we’ve built a portfolio of more than 100 patents, with more still in the pipeline. But we’ve always believed patents are only valuable if they become real engineering.
That’s why we’ve completed small-scale testing at depth, full-scale demonstrations near the surface, pressure testing, corrosion testing, and developed integrated disposal systems, including our Universal Canister System. We’ve steadily reduced technical risk while increasing confidence that this technology can be deployed commercially.
Another milestone I’m particularly proud of is the ecosystem we’ve built around Deep Isolation. We recognized early that solving a global problem wouldn’t mean doing everything ourselves. Instead, we’ve assembled outstanding collaborators—including Amentum, Halliburton, NAC International, and Occlusion Nuclear Solutions—bringing together expertise in drilling, nuclear engineering, transportation, manufacturing, and waste management. That approach allows us to remain a nimble company while having the capability to deploy solutions around the world.
None of this happened because of one idea or one person.
It happened because of the people who believed in the mission and worked every day to move it forward. Current and former employees built the technology, developed the relationships, secured the funding, challenged assumptions, and kept pushing through the inevitable setbacks that every startup faces. They transformed an idea into a company with world-class intellectual property, demonstrated technology, and growing commercial opportunities.
Looking back, I’m incredibly proud of how far we’ve come.
But I’m even more excited about what’s ahead.
The world is embracing nuclear energy in a way we haven’t seen for decades. Governments are recognizing that the back end of the fuel cycle needs innovative solutions, and there is growing momentum in the United States and internationally to finally address the disposition of used nuclear fuel.
After ten years, it feels like we’re just getting started.
To everyone who has been part of this journey—our employees, collaborators, investors, customers, advisors, and supporters—thank you. You’ve helped build something that many people thought wasn’t possible.
I’ve been fortunate to work on nuclear waste disposal for most of my career, and I honestly believe the next ten years will be the most consequential of them all.
Onward and downward!