Jason Kaufmann
| Jason Kaufmann | |
| Occupation | Hardware engineer, entrepreneur |
|---|---|
| Known for | Co-founder of Maritime Fusion |
Jason Kaufmann is an American hardware engineer and entrepreneur. He is a co-founder of Maritime Fusion, a startup developing fusion reactors for ships and off-grid energy markets. The company was part of the Y Combinator Winter 2025 batch.[1]
Career
Kaufmann studied physics and computer engineering at the University of Pennsylvania.[2] While at Penn, he served as an electrical and software engineer with Penn Electric Racing from 2017 to 2021. He interned at Tesla in 2021 as a hardware engineering intern, then joined the company full-time as a hardware engineer on the Autopilot AI team from 2022 to 2023, eventually rising to senior hardware design engineer. Kaufmann also worked at Etched.ai as a member of technical staff focused on ASIC and RTL design engineering.
In 2024, Kaufmann co-founded Maritime Fusion alongside Justin Cohen. The company is developing fusion reactors based on the tokamak design, specifically engineered for marine and off-grid applications. Maritime Fusion's approach uses high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets and cable technology. The company argues that while first-of-a-kind fusion reactors will initially be too costly for grid-scale electricity production, the marine environment presents a more favorable early market: ships require roughly 15 times less power than grid installations, can tolerate lower uptime, and currently rely on expensive alternative fuels. Maritime Fusion contends that fusion's lack of highly radioactive fuels or long-lived radioactive waste reduces regulatory and safety challenges compared to conventional nuclear fission reactors.[1]
The company targets both commercial shipping decarbonization and defense applications, aiming to provide operational energy in remote environments. In addition to its long-term fusion reactor development, Maritime Fusion is commercializing HTS cable technology for power distribution as a nearer-term product.[2]
Maritime Fusion is based in San Francisco, California, and as of early 2025 had approximately six employees. The founding team draws on experience at SpaceX, Tesla, Columbia University, and the University of Pennsylvania.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Maritime Fusion – Y Combinator". 'Y Combinator}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Maritime Fusion". 'Maritime Fusion}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.