New York, US-based Everstar has closed a $4m pre-seed funding round to advance its AI-powered compliance platform, Gordian, aimed at revolutionising nuclear licensing and regulatory compliance.
The funding round is led by Third Prime VC and supported by Pelican Energy Partners, EXCEL Services, Virta Ventures, Generational Partners, Page One Ventures and angel investors.
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It is set to fuel the expansion of the Gordian platform, which combines advanced AI with industry expertise to accelerate regulatory processes while maintaining safety standards.
The investment will support the assembly of a world-class team, enhancement of the compliance AI engine, hardware integrations and strategic partnerships to modernise operations.
These initiatives align with Everstar’s mission to accelerate nuclear energy infrastructure deployment to meet global decarbonisation goals.
In collaboration with nuclear regulatory consultancy EXCEL Services, Everstar is developing an AI system leveraging EXCEL’s network of regulatory specialists and data archives.
The company is also engaging with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense to proactively work with regulators.
Everstar founder and CEO Kevin Kong stated: “This investment represents more than capital – it’s a mandate to address some of the most complex challenges facing the industry and transform how we deploy nuclear energy. We don’t have time for business as usual.
“We’re facing unprecedented growth in energy demand driven by AI and electrification, yet the deployment of new nuclear projects remains bottlenecked by outdated regulatory processes. With the support of our strategic investors, Everstar can break through these barriers to accelerate the path to energy abundance.
“Our mission isn’t just about compliance – it’s about enabling the rapid and safe deployment of nuclear power,” he added.
Everstar’s platform reduces regulatory timelines and costs while setting new standards for safety and compliance transparency.
This fosters collaboration between regulators and industry players, ensuring long-term reliability and safety.
The technology enables nuclear operators to rapidly scale clean energy production to meet growing demand, especially from AI data centres and semiconductor fabrication plants requiring reliable, carbon-free power.
The acceleration of clean energy production is crucial as these facilities’ energy consumption grows, with investments in data centres and nuclear power builds reaching $2tn and $4tn respectively.
