Jeff Lawson, co-founder and CEO of fusion company Inertia, will speak at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 about his transition from software to fusion energy. Lawson previously helped scale Twilio into a public company with more than $4 billion in revenue and 300,000 customers worldwide.
In February, Inertia announced a $450 million Series A led by Bessemer Venture Partners, with participation from GV and other investors. The funding supports development of laser systems and mass manufacture of fusion fuel targets.
In July, Inertia opened a 50,000-square-foot headquarters in Livermore, California, with facilities for developing fuel-target manufacturing processes and laser technologies. The company also announced it had recruited leaders from businesses including Apple, Corning, and Waymo to help build manufacturing and supply-chain capabilities.
At Disrupt, Lawson will appear in a fireside chat titled "How Twilio's Founder Is Tackling the Power Problem" on the Smart Systems Stage. The event runs October 13–15 at Moscone West in San Francisco.