Dr. Kevin Peter Hickerson

Nuclear Physicist + Inventor + Comedian + Father³
Founder and CEO of The Earthineering Company

[Dr. Kevin Peter Hickerson @KPHickerson]

@ericweinstein Zorro ranch is in the background of the first Thor. No wormhole needed. Another physics connection?

[Dr. Kevin Peter Hickerson @KPHickerson]

I had a great conversation with @PhilBlancato talking about all things nuclear.

[Osaic @osaic_inc]

This week, Dr. Kevin Peter Hickerson, CEO of @earthineering, joins @PhilBlancato to discuss the revolution in modular nuclear reactors and future fuels.

As power generation evolves rapidly, how can we adapt for a sustainable future? Learn here: https://t.co/NIiCrZ23fF

[Elon Musk @elonmusk]

@profstonge No, I want to enable anyone to go to the Moon or Mars so that we secure the future of consciousness

[The Earthineering Company @earthineering]

"Not only can they [TRISO fuel particles] survive high-velocity impacts fully intact, but you could pour lava over them to no effect... you'd be able to sweep it all up."

https://t.co/gWD5FIKSwa

[NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman @NASAAdmin]

The next chapter of lunar exploration is taking shape.

Next week, we are announcing our first steps towards surface capabilities and mobility. Preparation for the first Moon Base is well underway.

[Dr. Kevin Peter Hickerson @KPHickerson]

@TedescoAdam Haha yeah maybe. But he’s not the one trying to get one. I’m my own person. He didn’t say my name so I’ve got plausible deniability. Although I did post this. Oops. Any way to hide a post from Stockholm?

[Dr. Kevin Peter Hickerson @KPHickerson]

I got mentioned on Tucker Carlson. I still want to win a Nobel Prize, but I guess this will have to do for now.
https://t.co/jptE3ites5

[The Earthineering Company @earthineering]

@KPHickerson, @DavidEBlau, and Lake Dodson are proud to have represented The Earthineering Company at this year's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) conference and to be a part of the nuclear energy renaissance.
https://t.co/KPagH7y7gP

[Dr. Kevin Peter Hickerson @KPHickerson]

Lets GO!!

[The Earthineering Company @earthineering]

Nuclear power is going to the moon!🌔
https://t.co/FTvbIp6WC4

[Founders Village @foundersvillge]

Coming up at Tech Weekend March 2026:

VC Panel: Raising Capital for Deep Tech — What Investors Actually Want to See

Deep tech ventures often face longer timelines and higher capital requirements than traditional software. This panel focuses on how to effectively communicate technical breakthroughs, prove traction without a finished product, and navigate the specific due diligence processes of specialized investors.

Meet the Speakers

🎤 Daisy Garcia — Senior Associate, Prosperity7 Ventures
Investment Focus: Data and AI infra, Cyber, Quantum, Healthcare, Robotics
Prosperity7 is a $3B diversified fund backed by Aramco Ventures. She invests globally in next-generation technologies, with a specific focus on AI infrastructure, quantum computing, robotics, and cyber security.

🎤 Will McConnell — Principal, Qiming Venture Partners USA
Investment Focus: Biotech and Digital Health
Will is a Principal at Qiming US ($550M AUM funds), where he focuses on biotech & digital health investing, generally at Series A stage.

Moderator
🎤 Dr. Kevin Hickerson — Founder & CEO, The Earthineering Company A Caltech-trained nuclear physicist, Kevin is building the first nuclear reactor designed to turn plants into fuel. He brings the unique perspective of a founder navigating the "hardest" parts of hard tech.

📅 Date & Time: Friday, March 20, 2026 | 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
📍 Location: 75 Arbor Rd, Menlo Park, CA

Who should attend? If you are currently fundraising for a hardware, energy, biotech, or science-heavy startup and want to understand how to move a VC from "intrigued by the science" to "signing the term sheet," this session is for you.

Sign up for Tech Weekend: https://t.co/FTr9jvxJVu

[Dr. Kevin Peter Hickerson @KPHickerson]

The commercial as aired: https://t.co/f1CNBrARTo

[Dr. Kevin Peter Hickerson @KPHickerson]

In 2019, I did science consulting / set dressing for a Ford commercial starring Bryan Cranston. I covered a chalkboard with rocket equations to make it feel like NASA training for Apollo 14.

Then I flipped it over and realized the back still had leftovers from The Good Place shoot.

Fast forward to 2026: I’m watching Family Guy (the Trash Island episode from 2019)… and they reference the same board!

That chalkboard has a better acting résumé than me.

[Yasir Arafat @yasir_fission]

Our graphite moderator getting machined.

This enables our core to use LEU fuel instead of HALEU

We need to machine 180 of these blocks.

Will be ready for July 4th criticality reactor!

[Dr. Kevin Peter Hickerson @KPHickerson]

Legalize Nuclear in California!

It looks like Take 2 of a previous bill I was called to testify for is looking promising. This is a new bill with bipartisan support this time. California can't reach its climate targets without nuclear and this time around, more people get it!

I wasn't called to testify this time around, but I'll testify here!

California needs advanced nuclear!

https://t.co/cD7mZJJqTU

[Department of War 🇺🇸 @DeptofWar]

The next-generation nuclear reactor has been successfully unloaded from the C-17 and left Hill Air Force Base.

This is a historic milestone for President Trump's nuclear agenda.

[NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman @NASAAdmin]

@NASA @ENERGY NASA is going nuclear, both propulsion and surface power, key enabling capabilities for truly exploring the solar system 🌌

America will be underway in space on nuclear power in the years ahead 🇺🇸

[Founders Village @foundersvillge]

Tech Weekend January 2026 Recap: Deep Tech Pitch Competition

The Deep Tech Pitch Competition is always a special moment for us. It is inspiring to see founders who are willing to tackle the hardest problems—building complex, physical technologies that take years of research and resilience to bring to life.

We are incredibly proud of the ambition shown on stage this weekend, from next-generation energy systems to the future of medical infrastructure.

Please join us in congratulating the winners:

🥇 1st Prize: The Earthineering Company (@earthineering) Founder: @KPHickerson: Developing a new class of small modular nuclear reactors designed to convert biomass into carbon-neutral jet fuel. Factory-built, meltdown-proof, and engineered to scale across the global hydrocarbon industry. Pre-seed. https://t.co/2jfJZ2EuFy

🥈 2nd Prize: Neopharma Technologies Limited Founder: Shaun Melville @NEOTECHOLOGIES:

An Australian health-tech company delivering the NEOVAULT platform for secure Digital Drug and Impairment testing. With ISO 27001/SOC 2 compliance and global partnerships, they are scaling critical health infrastructure. Series A. https://t.co/WxYHGeyhrM

🥉 3rd Prize: @Mixverse_com Founder: Dr. @AliMizaniOskui

Building the next generation of VR/XR hardware. Instead of projecting images onto a display, their technology projects pixels directly onto the retina for a lightweight, natural, and immersive experience. Pre-seed. https://t.co/dxpeCnHP1c

A special thank you to our judges for their time and expertise:

@mariapienaar – Operating Partner, @UnicornGrowth_C Capital
Serephina Ha – General Partner, Axci Capital

Tech Weekend Returns: March, 2026

More details coming soon at: ((

[Dr. Kevin Peter Hickerson @KPHickerson]

In honor of the upcoming moon launch by Artemis II, here's my proposal for a retro futura lunar hotel.
Stay tuned...

[Founders Village @foundersvillge]

Coming Up at Tech Weekend: Deep Tech Pitch Competition — Jan 23, 2026

We’re excited to announce the finalists for the Deep Tech Pitch Competition, featuring breakthrough innovations across nuclear energy, quantum simulation, embodied AI, and digital health infrastructure.

⚡ Finalists
The Earthineering Company — @KPHickerson is developing a new class of small modular nuclear reactors designed to convert biomass into carbon-neutral jet fuel. These factory-built reactors eliminate meltdown risk and are engineered to scale across the global hydrocarbon industry. Pre-seed. https://t.co/2jfJZ2EuFy

Symulat — Sergey Knysh is Redefining simulation for science and engineering with up to 1,000,000x faster speeds. Their early prototype—a simulator for quantum algorithms running on existing hardware—is already funded by Google Quantum AI. Pre-seed. https://t.co/gwQzUIyalb

Neopharma Technologies Limited — Shaun Melville: An Australian health-tech company delivering the NEOVAULT platform for secure Digital Drug and Impairment testing. With ISO 27001/SOC 2 compliance and global partnerships, they are scaling critical health infrastructure. Series A. https://t.co/5NvGJYSRDc

Mixverse — Dr. Ali Mizani Oskui Building the next generation of VR/XR hardware. Instead of projecting images onto a display, their technology projects pixels directly onto the retina for a lightweight, natural, and immersive experience. Pre-seed. https://t.co/dxpeCnHP1c

PassivSure — Megan Ring is building the infrastructure that turns building performance data into decision-ready signals for utilities and capital providers. They close the loop upstream to align incentives and capital around real energy outcomes. Pre-seed. https://t.co/1mAmCMmqhX

Diagnosticly — David Shor The "Intel Inside" for diagnostics—a white-labeled enterprise platform that allows labs, employers, and payors to shift healthcare from the clinic to the home or school, reducing costs by up to 85%. Seed. https://t.co/XSIBrEHOYh

🧑‍⚖️ Judge
@mariapienaar – Operating Partner, @UnicornGrowth_C
Serephina Ha – General Partner, Axci Capital

Date: Friday, January 23 | 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Location: 103 Montgomery, Presidio, San Francisco

If you're excited about the future of energy, health, simulation, and XR — then join us this Friday. Sign up at https://t.co/FTr9jvxJVu

What is Tech Weekend? A 48-hour fundraising sprint by Founders Village where pre-seed to Series A founders meet dozens of investors in back-to-back sessions to speed their fundraising