Kevin Hart and Chris Larsen just backed a maritime nuclear startup. According to TechCrunch, Bluecore Energy has raised $10 million in pre-seed funding, with the actor's Hartbeat Ventures and the Ripple co-founder among the backers.
Bluecore's technology: small modular nuclear reactors mounted on floating barges that dock at ports and power communities without drawing energy or water from local infrastructure. Founded seven months ago by Kofi Asante, an Uber Freight veteran, the startup uses 70-year-old water-cooled nuclear technology deployed in a new location.
Asante has pitched this explicitly as a solution for AI data centers, which face severe power demands. According to TechCrunch, he has already heard from data center executives seeking energy independence without burdening their host communities. Hart and Larsen clearly see the market opportunity.
Hart's Hartbeat has previously backed fintech, climate, and infrastructure companies. Larsen has been a climate investor post-Ripple, and backing nuclear shows ideological commitment rather than portfolio padding.
Bluecore's appeal lies in its deployment model. Asante says the barges can be moved by ship to new locations with zero transport emissions, and each reactor needs refueling only every few years. He has already secured a port terminal, barge, and test reactor vessel. The physics is being tested now.
The regulatory path will be difficult, but the investor slate — which also includes Harlem Capital and Precursor Ventures — suggests this is a serious bet. It is a coordinated push from climate-focused VCs who see nuclear as essential in the energy transition.
For Hart, this positions him in serious infrastructure capital. Whether Bluecore succeeds or fails, he is betting on a technology that could power the next wave of AI innovation.
