Oil giant Chevron Corporation has announced it is making a Series A investment in Zap Energy Inc, a Seattle-based startup company founded in 2017 to develop a next-generation modular nuclear reactor

Chevron Technology Ventures, the new business and technologies arm of Chevron, said its investment in nuclear fusion is an opportunity to increase the company’s focus on a diverse portfolio of low-carbon energy resources.

“We see fusion technology as a promising low-carbon future energy source,” said Barbara Burger, president of Chevron Technology Ventures. “Our investment in Zap Energy adds to Chevron’s portfolio of companies we believe are likely to have a role in the energy transition.”