It's always exciting when an initial public offering (IPO) hits the markets, and backing from Amazon (AMZN 1.40%) adds a known name to a newcomer.
X-Energy (XE 5.79%) develops nuclear energy products, and its small nuclear modular reactors (SMRs) could be an important development for artificial intelligence (AI) and data center expansion.
Let's see why Amazon has invested in the company and whether or not it makes sense to invest.
Image source: Amazon.
Nuclear is the future of energy
X-Energy has been around since 2009, working to create industrial-sized nuclear reactors. It didn't make much noise until recently, as hyperscalers search for low-cost, clean-energy solutions to power data centers. The company's main products today are the Xe-100 gas-cooled SMRs, which use helium to cool the reactors and can produce 80 megawatts (MW) of electricity each, and the TRISO-X fuel, which management says embeds coated particles that can withstand high heat without melting, offering greater stability and safety.
Amazon took an interest in the company in 2024 as the anchor company in a $500 million Series C funding round. The companies are collaborating to produce 5 gigawatts (GW) of energy by 2039. Although X-Energy's technology represents what the future of energy could be, it doesn't actually have any finished products yet. It's aiming to have its first reactors ready by 2030.
X-Energy has made several recent deals, including an 11 GW deal with SGL Carbon and Doosan Enerbility in South Korea, and aside from Amazon, it has orders from Dow Inc. and U.K. company Centrica. According to The Wall Street Journal, Amazon owns 20% of the company.
NASDAQ: XE
Key Data Points
IPO or no?
X-Energy went public on April 24 at $23 per share. And although like many IPO stocks it dropped after a strong rise, it's still up 30% from the IPO.
Having a partner like Amazon is a confidence booster, but this company is far from profitable. It reported $109 million in what it calls revenue and grant income in 2025, with a $390 million comprehensive loss. It isn't slated to produce any product for about five years from now.
X-Energy may make important advances in energy, and down the line, it could be a formidable company. But it's extremely uncertain right now. It also faces competition from companies like Oklo and NuScale as well as conventional nuclear reactor companies.
If you're interested in gaining exposure to this developing technology, you're better off investing in Amazon today, or other clean-energy companies that are already bringing their products to market.
