Deep Isolation

Nucleation first invested into Deep Isolation in Q1 2022. The company became a public company in 2026.  

Deep Isolation has developed a methodology for storing nuclear waste a mile underground using oil & gas horizontal drilling technologies modified to enable temporary or long-term waste storage.

We are pleased to report that we have secured an investment in Deep Isolation’s Series B bridge round for Q1. 

Deep Isolation is addressing one of the long-standing issues to the use of nuclear power: “What do you do with the waste?” They are the first and only private company commercializing a cost-effective solution to such waste. Their proprietary approach leverages standard directional drilling practices, supplemented with their own robust intellectual property, to safely and affordably isolate waste deep underground in specially-designed canisters, carefully emplaced in stable, geologic borehole repositories.

Deep Isolation’s solves the problem of an expensive, temporary and deeply unsatisfactory above-ground treatment for waste by offering a competing solution that is inexpensive, deep underground (as temporary or permanent storage) and highly satisfactory. Their solution could potentially reduce the projected global cost of permanent waste storage, estimated at well over $600 billion, down to a fraction of that, while vastly improving both public satisfaction and long-term safety. 

Deep Isolation has an exceptionally impressive team and serves as an enabling venture that, in solving the waste issue in a proven and safe way, could help reduce obstacles for the expansion of nuclear around the world. 

Nucleation Capital is the first venture fund to invest in Deep Isolation, which has successfully raised seed and Series A capital previously from strategic partners and a few well positioned private investors. We have committed Q1 dollars from the fund so, as a Q1 subscriber, you will have a stake in Deep Isolation. However, we are also working with DI to bring on additional investors and LPs prior to the close. Accordingly, we have agreed to syndicate an allocation in the round, thereby helping to introduce them to a broader array of climate investors, both large and small.

Very shortly, I will be sharing an invitation to our Deep Isolation syndicate. There you will find a more detailed write-up about the venture (so I am not providing that detail here). You need not participate in the syndication unless you wish to increase your exposure to DI, in which case you may add more capital through the syndicate (with our subscriber discount of 50% on the carry).

Both the fund’s investment and the syndicate deal will close together (likely by the end of this month), so this deal will not be visible on your investor dashboard page for Q1 yet.