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From software to fusion: Jeff Lawson's next bet
Twilio's founder is bringing his startup expertise to nuclear fusion energy at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026.
In brief
Twilio's founder is bringing his startup expertise to nuclear fusion energy at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. Building a deep tech company like fusion energy requires different skills than software, but experienced founders can apply lessons about talent, timelines, and capital across industries. Originally reported by…
Twilio founder's fusion gamble
Jeff Lawson built Twilio into a $4 billion company with 300,000 customers. Now he's co-founder and CEO of Inertia, bringing fusion power to the electrical grid.
A different kind of challenge
Lawson's shift from software to fusion raises a key question: how much of what makes a software founder successful translates to a business built on lasers, manufacturing, and major engineering milestones?
450 million reasons to believe
In February 2026, Inertia raised $450 million in Series A funding led by Bessemer Venture Partners, with backing from GV and others. The money funds laser systems and fusion fuel target manufacturing.
Building the fusion factory
Inertia opened a 50,000-square-foot headquarters in Livermore, California in July, with facilities for fuel-target manufacturing and laser development. The company recruited leaders from Apple, Corning, and Waymo.
Lawson's tech track record
Before Twilio, Lawson led product at Amazon Web Services and was founding CTO of StubHub. His career spans building products, teams, and companies across different markets.
The leadership questions that matter
How do you build the right team when expertise extends beyond your own? How do you set credible milestones while keeping an ambitious mission moving forward? These questions define Lawson's challenge at Inertia.
Disrupt 2026 fireside chat
Lawson will speak at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 on October 13-15 in San Francisco. His session, "How Twilio's Founder Is Tackling the Power Problem," appears on the Smart Systems Stage.
What founders will learn
The session explores how Lawson applies hard-earned experience without assuming software methods translate unchanged to fusion energy. It's relevant for anyone building in climate tech, hardware, or unfamiliar territory.
The key point
Building a deep tech company like fusion energy requires different skills than software, but experienced founders can apply lessons about talent, timelines, and capital across industries.
