Revolutionizing Nuclear Energy: Thorizons' Kiki Lauwers on Molten Salt Reactors and Sustainable Innovation

Kiki leads Thorizon, a revolutionary deeptech company backed by the EU, creating thorium-based molten salt reactors. Thorizon was founded by Lucas Pool and Sander de Groot as a spin-off from the national nuclear research institute of the Netherlands. In 2023, Kiki bemame the CEO. With an Aerospace Engineering degree from TU Delft and an MBA from INSEAD, her journey spans McKinsey, Bol.com, and now the ambitious goal of launching Thorizon’s first reactor.

In this episode, we'll talk about:

• Kiki’s leap from corporate to leading a nuclear energy scale-up,
• The potential of molten salt reactors in changing nuclear perceptions,
• The highs and lows of partnerships, funding, and the “nuclear renaissance.”

Links mentioned:

• People: Kiki Lauwers, Lucas Pool, Sander de Groot, Andrew Buskens, Nima Salami, Jos Lazet, Daan Giesen, Rinke Zonneveld
• Companies: Thorizon, Bol.com, McKinsey, OasysNow, Blockrise, LessonUp, InvestNL
• Media: EU endorsement Thorizon One molten salt reactor
• Other: Slush Helsinki, European Alliance on Small Modular Reactors, Careers at Thorizon, Hackyourcareer.com, DJ F.R.A.N.K. - The One and Only