Nuclear Startup Taps Financial Markets Veteran for Strategic Growth

CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom – January 05, 2026 – Cambridge Atomworks, a UK-based nuclear engineering startup, has appointed financial markets heavyweight Daniel Marcus to its Advisory Board. The move signals a strategic pivot towards commercialization, as the company seeks to leverage Marcus's three decades of experience in business strategy, law, and finance to navigate the capital-intensive and highly regulated nuclear energy sector.

A Strategic Appointment for a Critical Phase

This is more than a routine board addition; it is a calculated move to inject top-tier commercial and regulatory expertise into a deep-tech venture. Daniel Marcus is the founder of MarcX, a business consultancy, but his career is distinguished by senior leadership roles that bridge the gap between finance, law, and technology. As the former co-Head of Tradition’s EMEA business and its Global Head of Strategy, he has a proven track record of driving growth in complex international markets.

His background as a qualified solicitor, having served as General Counsel at both Tradition and the London Stock Exchange, provides Cambridge Atomworks with invaluable insight into navigating stringent regulatory frameworks. This legal acumen is a critical asset in the nuclear industry, where compliance and safety are paramount and the licensing process is notoriously complex. Marcus was instrumental in creating innovative electronic trading platforms like Trad-X and ParFX, and played a key role in developing industry-wide financial benchmarks such as the ICE Swap Rate and Term SONIA, the successor to the LIBOR standard. This experience in building and scaling complex, regulated systems from the ground up is directly applicable to the challenges of bringing a new nuclear reactor design to market.

Ian Farnan, CEO of Cambridge Atomworks, highlighted the importance of the appointment in a statement: “Dan’s business experience and deep knowledge of capital markets will be crucial to Cambridge Atomworks’ continued growth and development.” This underscores the company's focus on securing funding, building robust business models, and establishing a firm commercial footing.

Cambridge Atomworks' Post-ODIN Ambitions

The timing of Marcus's appointment is significant, coming as Cambridge Atomworks solidifies its independent strategy. The company, which has deep ties to the University of Cambridge, recently transitioned from a design contractor to a full-fledged technology owner. Until late 2025, it served as the design authority for the ODIN microreactor on behalf of NANO Nuclear Energy Inc.

In a pivotal move, Cambridge Atomworks signed a letter of intent in September 2025 to acquire the ODIN design and its associated intellectual property from NANO Nuclear for $6.2 million. NANO Nuclear sold the design to focus on its other advanced reactors, making Cambridge Atomworks, the original developer, the "natural buyer." This acquisition empowers the startup to pursue its own vision for the technology.

The ODIN microreactor is a compact, low-pressure coolant design intended for emerging and off-grid energy markets. Its target applications include powering remote mining operations, developing communities, and other scenarios where reliable, grid-independent energy is essential. The design emphasizes safety, featuring a "walk-away safe" system that relies on natural convection for cooling. By taking full ownership of ODIN, Cambridge Atomworks is now positioned to drive the development, licensing, and eventual deployment of a UK-designed and built nuclear solution for a global niche market.

Navigating the UK's Nuclear Renaissance

Marcus joins Cambridge Atomworks at a moment of renewed momentum for nuclear power in the United Kingdom. The British government has placed nuclear energy at the heart of its strategy for achieving energy security and its 2050 net-zero emissions target. An ambitious goal has been set to expand nuclear capacity to 24 GW by 2050, which could supply up to 25% of the nation's electricity.

To support this vision, the government has launched several initiatives, including the creation of Great British Nuclear (GBN) to streamline development and an Advanced Nuclear Fund of £385 million to support Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs). This policy landscape creates a fertile ground for innovators like Cambridge Atomworks.

However, the path to market is crowded and competitive. The UK is a global hub for SMR development, with established giants like Rolls-Royce SMR, GE-Hitachi, and Holtec International all competing for government contracts and market share. These companies are primarily focused on larger, grid-scale SMRs. Cambridge Atomworks, with its smaller ODIN microreactor, is carving out a distinct niche but will still need to navigate the same complex regulatory and funding environments. Marcus’s expertise in financial market structure and regulation offers a powerful parallel for maneuvering through the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) approval process and securing financing through models like the government's Regulated Asset Base (RAB).

The Non-Technical Imperative for Deep Tech Success

The appointment highlights a crucial, often-overlooked truth in the world of deep technology: groundbreaking engineering is necessary, but not sufficient, for success. Commercializing a nuclear reactor involves far more than perfecting the physics and materials science. It requires a sophisticated understanding of project finance, risk management, international law, and public policy.

An advisory board member of Marcus’s caliber provides more than just advice; he brings credibility that can unlock doors to institutional investors and strategic partners who might otherwise be wary of the long timelines and high risks associated with nuclear ventures. His extensive network in the global financial community is a strategic asset for a startup needing to raise substantial capital for development, licensing, and construction.

His direct experience in managing the industry-wide transition from LIBOR to SONIA provides a compelling case study in his capabilities. That project required coordinating with regulators, financial institutions, and technology providers to execute a complex, system-critical change—a challenge analogous to introducing a new reactor technology into the established energy market. By bringing Daniel Marcus on board, Cambridge Atomworks is acknowledging that the future of nuclear energy will be built not only in laboratories and engineering bays, but also in the boardrooms where strategy is forged, deals are structured, and the complex path to market is meticulously planned. His arrival signals that the company is serious about moving beyond design and into deployment.