NANO Nuclear Energy Secures U.S. Department of Energy’s GAIN Voucher for KRONOS MMR™ System in Collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Key Highlights

• NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) has been awarded a prestigious Gateway for Accelerated Innovations in Nuclear (GAIN) voucher by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
• The GAIN voucher is in partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and focuses on the company’s flagship KRONOS MMR™ (Micro Modular Reactor) Energy System.
• The project aims to develop a validated uncertainty quantification (UQ) framework using ORNL’s SCALE/TSUNAMI tool suite—critical for safety and regulatory approvals.
• This is the company’s second GAIN voucher, but the first for the KRONOS MMR™ system, further cementing its relationship with national laboratories and the DOE.
• The GAIN voucher provides direct funding to ORNL to support NANO Nuclear in overcoming technical and commercialization challenges.

Details of the GAIN Voucher Award

NANO Nuclear’s latest achievement represents an important milestone in the company’s roadmap to commercialization. The GAIN voucher project, titled “Uncertainty Quantification and Sensitivity Analysis Support for NANO Nuclear Reactor Design Using ORNL’s Tools – SCALE/TSUNAMI”, aims to employ advanced analytical tools developed and recognized by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). These tools will be used to assess the impact of nuclear data, modeling assumptions, and operational parameters on key reactor physics metrics such as reactivity, power distribution, and temperature coefficients.

Importantly, the voucher will help validate the safety margins, performance reliability, and licensing readiness of the KRONOS MMR™ Energy System, a crucial step for regulatory engagement and future deployment.

Notably, the GAIN voucher does not provide direct financial awards to NANO Nuclear; instead, it funds work at DOE laboratories (here, ORNL), granting NANO Nuclear access to world-class nuclear research expertise and infrastructure.

Strategic Collaboration and Market Impact

The collaboration with ORNL, one of the nation’s leading nuclear research laboratories, is expected to generate valuable data to support system development and validation. This partnership will help strengthen confidence in the company’s design margins, reduce regulatory uncertainties, and accelerate the technology’s path to commercialization.

According to NANO Nuclear’s leadership, this GAIN voucher is a strong endorsement of the progress made on the KRONOS MMR™ system and the company’s engineering teams. It also underscores DOE’s recognition of NANO Nuclear’s approach and technical achievements.

The success of this initiative could support pre-licensing engagement with the DOE and NRC and is likely to positively impact the company’s positioning in the advanced nuclear microreactor market, which may in turn influence investor sentiment and share value.

Business Overview and Vertically Integrated Model

NANO Nuclear is positioning itself as a diversified, vertically integrated nuclear energy technology company with five business lines:

1. Development of cutting-edge portable and microreactor technologies (KRONOS MMR™, ZEUS™, and space-focused LOKI MMR™ systems).
2. Development of a nuclear fuel supply chain through its subsidiary HALEU Energy Fuel Inc. (HEF).
3. Nuclear fuel transportation via Advanced Fuel Transportation Inc. (AFT), which holds exclusive licenses to key DOE-funded transportation technology.
4. Nuclear applications for space (NANO Nuclear Space Inc.), focusing on power and propulsion for space exploration, especially cis-lunar projects.
5. Nuclear industry consulting services.

The company states that it is the first portable nuclear microreactor company to be listed publicly in the United States. Its collaboration with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is further advancing licensing for the KRONOS MMR™ system.

Potential Shareholder Impact and Price Sensitivity

• Receipt of the GAIN voucher is a significant milestone and could be viewed as a validation of NANO Nuclear’s technology and business strategy. This may positively influence investor confidence and the share price.
• The partnership with ORNL and access to DOE-funded resources are likely to accelerate the company’s technical development and de-risk regulatory pathways—key factors for future commercialization and revenues.
• Successful validation and licensing of the KRONOS MMR™ system would open opportunities for deployment at scale, potentially leading to increased market share and long-term shareholder value.
• Being recognized and funded (indirectly) by the DOE positions NANO Nuclear favorably among advanced nuclear technology peers and could enhance its profile with institutional investors and strategic partners.
• However, investors should note the company’s forward-looking statements regarding regulatory, technology development, funding, and market risks, as outlined in the cautionary note.

Contact and Further Information

For additional details, shareholders and potential investors are encouraged to visit the company’s website at
https://NanoNuclearEnergy.com/, or reach out via email at [email protected] or phone at (212) 634-9206. Social media links can be found on LinkedIn, YouTube, and X Platform.

Cautionary Note

Disclaimer: This article contains forward-looking statements related to NANO Nuclear’s anticipated benefits from the GAIN voucher and future prospects. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, including but not limited to regulatory, technological, funding, development, and market risks. Actual results may differ materially. Investors should review the company’s SEC filings for additional information and should not rely solely on forward-looking statements as predictors of future performance.

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