Lightbridge Courts Global Investors for Advanced Nuclear Fuel Tech

RESTON, VA – January 14, 2026 – Lightbridge Corporation, an advanced nuclear fuel technology developer, today announced an intensive series of high-profile appearances by its CEO, Seth Grae, at key investor and industry conferences across the globe. This strategic push signals a concerted effort to capitalize on the renewed global interest in nuclear energy and secure the company's position in the next generation of power generation.

The announcement outlines a packed schedule for Grae, beginning today at the 28th Annual Needham Growth Conference in New York City. The tour will continue to the Global Cleantech Investor Gala in Davos, Switzerland, the Nuclear Energy Institute’s Financing Summit in New York, and culminate at the 3rd World Nuclear SMR & Advanced Reactor Congress in London in mid-February. This "global roadshow" appears designed to place Lightbridge directly in front of the world's most influential financial and energy decision-makers.

A Strategic Global Outreach

The selection of venues for this month-long tour is telling. Each conference targets a distinct, yet crucial, segment of the ecosystem needed to bring advanced nuclear technology from the laboratory to the grid. The Needham Growth Conference in New York primarily attracts institutional investors and analysts focused on emerging growth companies, representing a direct appeal for capital and market support.

Later this month, Grae’s presentation in Davos, titled “The Need for Nuclear,” will be delivered to an audience of global leaders, policymakers, and cleantech investors gathered on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum. This platform offers a unique opportunity to shape the high-level narrative, positioning nuclear power as an essential tool for achieving climate goals and energy security.

The focus then shifts back to the financial heart of the industry at the Nuclear Energy Institute’s (NEI) Nuclear Financing Summit. Grae’s participation in a panel on “The New Nuclear Fuel Cycle” will engage experts in technology, supply chains, and recycling, addressing the practical and financial hurdles of deploying next-generation fuels. Finally, the keynote and panel discussions at the World Nuclear SMR & Advanced Reactor Congress in London place Lightbridge at the center of the rapidly advancing Small Modular Reactor (SMR) market, particularly focusing on the European landscape. This targeted approach demonstrates a comprehensive strategy to build support across the investment, policy, and industrial sectors.

Powering the Next Generation of Reactors

At the heart of this outreach is Lightbridge Fuel™, the company's proprietary technology. Lightbridge is developing a next-generation metallic fuel designed to offer significant improvements over the conventional uranium oxide pellets used in most of the world's current nuclear reactors. The company claims its fuel can increase power output, extend operating cycles, and significantly enhance safety margins, primarily through better heat transfer.

This technology is being developed for two critical markets. First, it is intended as a "drop-in" upgrade for the existing global fleet of light water reactors, potentially offering utilities a way to boost the economic performance and safety of their current assets. Second, and perhaps more crucially for the future, Lightbridge Fuel™ is being tailored for the burgeoning SMR market. SMRs are smaller, factory-built reactors seen by many as a key to expanding nuclear power, and advanced fuels are considered essential to unlocking their full potential for efficiency, safety, and flexible operation alongside renewables.

To validate its technology, Lightbridge is leaning heavily on a long-term framework agreement with Battelle Energy Alliance, the contractor operating the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory (INL). This collaboration provides access to world-class nuclear research facilities and expertise. In a significant step forward, the company announced in late 2025 that it had begun irradiation testing of its fuel samples in INL's Advanced Test Reactor. This multi-year testing process is a critical milestone on the long road to commercialization and regulatory approval. The project has also received multiple awards from the DOE’s Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) program, lending federal support to its development efforts.

A Resurgent Market with Lingering Questions

Lightbridge's investor push comes at a uniquely opportune moment for the nuclear industry. After years of being sidelined in many Western energy debates, nuclear power is experiencing a powerful renaissance. Geopolitical instability has thrust energy security to the forefront of national agendas, while the immense electricity demands of data centers and artificial intelligence have forced tech giants and utilities to seek reliable, carbon-free power sources. The recent news of major tech companies exploring nuclear power to energize their AI operations has sent a jolt of enthusiasm through the sector.

This renewed interest is particularly strong for SMRs, which promise lower upfront costs, faster construction, and greater placement flexibility than traditional large-scale reactors. However, despite the technological optimism and market tailwinds, significant challenges remain. Public awareness of advanced nuclear technologies like SMRs is still low. While polling shows a growing general acceptance of nuclear power, deep-seated public concerns about safety and long-term waste disposal persist, legacies of past accidents like Chernobyl and Fukushima.

Industry experts stress that overcoming these hurdles requires more than just technological innovation. "Building public trust is as important as building the reactor itself," noted one energy policy analyst. "That means early, transparent engagement and a clear, convincing plan for the entire fuel lifecycle." This is particularly true in Europe, where public and political opinion on nuclear energy is highly varied. Grae’s participation in a panel on "Scaling Europe’s SMR Ecosystem" in London will likely involve navigating these complex social and regulatory landscapes.

The Financial Reality Check

While Lightbridge presents a compelling vision for the future of nuclear energy, a closer look at its financial standing reveals the high stakes of its current campaign. According to its latest quarterly report from late 2025, the company holds a substantial cash position of approximately $153 million. This war chest is vital, as the company is in a pre-revenue stage, with rising research and development expenses that reached $5.3 million in the first nine months of 2025.

This cash burn is necessary to fund the critical and expensive work at Idaho National Laboratory, moving the fuel from concept to a physically proven product. However, the long timeline to commercialization and profitability has led to skepticism in some corners of the financial market. Recent analyst ratings have trended towards "Sell," and public filings show that company insiders have been net sellers of the stock in recent months, a metric often scrutinized by potential investors.

This financial context underscores the critical importance of the CEO's current global tour. Lightbridge is not just selling a technology; it is selling a long-term vision. It must convince investors that its strong cash position is a sufficient bridge to future revenue and that its proprietary fuel technology will secure a valuable place in the multi-trillion-dollar energy transition. The success of this outreach may prove pivotal in maintaining market confidence and securing the partnerships necessary to navigate the long and capital-intensive journey from advanced testing to commercial deployment.