Josh Cable, The Motley Fool
6 min read
In This Article:
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Oklo is developing next-gen microreactors that use recycled nuclear waste as fuel.
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Compelling catalysts and timely tailwinds have lifted the stock higher in recent months.
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Despite the hype, Oklo is a "pre-revenue" company trading at a sky-high valuation.
If you're looking for a super-charged growth stock with an AI angle, there's a nuclear option to consider. I'm talking about Oklo (NYSE: OKLO), a next-generation nuclear power company on a mission to reboot atomic energy for the age of artificial intelligence.
Established in 2013 by MIT alums Jacob DeWitte (now chief executive officer) and Caroline Cochran (now chief operating officer), Oklo went public in May 2024 via a merger with AltC Acquisition Corp., a SPAC led by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Altman stepped down as Oklo's chairman in April.
Oklo's mission is to develop compact, next-gen nuclear reactors that are efficient, "walk-away safe," and capable of turning recycled nuclear waste into clean, reliable energy. The company's first commercial reactor is expected to come online in late 2027 or early 2028.
Oklo's goal of reimagining nuclear power has certainly piqued Wall Street's imagination. Oklo's stock has rocketed 190% higher in 2025 as of the June 19 market close, and it's up 564% over the past year despite the company not yet having any revenue.
Should you add this high-flying energy stock to your portfolio, or are you better off watching from the sidelines to see how the story unfolds? Let's dive in.
Nuclear energy is having a moment. In May, President Donald Trump issued a flurry of executive orders aimed at jump-starting domestic production of nuclear power, with the goal of quadrupling capacity by 2050. The orders emphasize the need for AI-ready power infrastructure, recycling of spent nuclear fuel, and faster licensing of advanced nuclear reactors, all of which play right into Oklo's hands.
Oklo already has a site use permit from the Department of Energy to build its first microreactor at the Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory, and an agreement with the Idaho National Laboratory to use recycled nuclear fuel as a uranium source. That means Oklo is poised to hit the ground running in a sector that's flush with political capital.
Although Oklo is developing the type of advanced reactors that are named explicitly in Trump's executive orders, it's important to note that this isn't new technology.
