Realta Fusion Picks Former Oscar Meyer Factory in Madison for New Research Facility

Realta Fusion has selected the former Oscar Meyer factory in Madison, Wisconsin, as the site for its new research and development facility named Forge. The company will create its first plasma at the location in 2029. Kieran Furlong, co-founder and CEO of Realta Fusion, said the site’s power capacity and proximity to the company’s existing headquarters influenced the choice.

Realta recently demonstrated direct conversion of energy from fusion reactions into electricity. Wisconsin and the city of Madison will provide an estimated $55 million in incentives. This total includes a sales tax exemption enacted in April that will save the company $37.5 million, plus $15 million in state enterprise zone tax credits and $2.8 million in city tax increment financing.

Realta Fusion was spun out of an experiment at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which graduates multiple plasma physicists each year. Another fusion company, Shine, operates in a nearby suburb. TechCrunch reported that fusion power startups have raised more than $1.5 billion in 2026.

Furlong stated that Wisconsin decided to throw its weight behind fusion and that it is advantageous to be the state champion. Type One Energy, another Wisconsin-grown fusion startup, relocated to Tennessee in 2024.