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The Techne Connect
Thomas Forner, CEO & Co-Founder of Focused Energy
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In this episode we speak with Thomas Forner, Co-Founder and CEO of Focused Energy, about building a fusion company designed to bring clean, safe and abundant baseload power to the grid.
Thomas shares his path from corporate startups and software ventures into deep tech, and explains why fusion became the mission worth dedicating a decade of his life to. He reflects on the importance of timing, scientific proof, strong co-founders, and building the right ecosystem around a company from day one.
The conversation explores what it takes to translate complex science into engineering, why partnerships across industry and government matter, and how Focused Energy is scaling from labs in Darmstadt and Austin to its future fusion campus in Biblis. Thomas also shares lessons on hiring, leadership, communication, systems thinking, and why persistence matters more than most people expect when building something truly ambitious.
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