A non-binding agreement, not a firm order, but one with real money attached: NANO Nuclear Energy and Tillman Global Holdings signed a strategic commercial framework on Aug. 24, 2026, naming NANO Nuclear as Tillman's anticipated preferred nuclear technology provider for a planned string of AI industrial zones across the United States. The two companies are targeting 2 gigawatts or more of advanced nuclear capacity by the mid-2030s and 6 gigawatts or more by 2040, subject to site-specific agreements, customer commitments, financing and regulatory approvals.

Tillman's buildout

Tillman Digital Gateway, Tillman's data-center platform, is advancing a multi-state pipeline of AI industrial zones designed to meet gigawatt-scale power infrastructure needs from anticipated hyperscale and AI tenant customers. Under what it calls a power-first development strategy, Tillman evaluates sites for their ability to host multiple generation sources and intends to reserve space to add advanced nuclear power as a medium- to long-term baseload source. Tillman and its affiliated companies, which have built U.S. cell towers, fiber infrastructure, in-building connectivity systems and EV charging infrastructure, have secured about $16 billion in capital since the firm's founding.

The reactor

NANO Nuclear's KRONOS MMR Energy System is a 15-megawatt-electric high-temperature gas-cooled reactor built for modular, phased deployment. The parties believe that architecture fits staged rollouts at large data-center campuses as nuclear supply becomes available over the medium and long term.

What the framework covers

Under the agreement, the two companies plan to work together on site evaluation and diligence, licensing and development planning, customer engagement and project deployment. The contemplated structure pairs Tillman's infrastructure development, project financing and power-development experience with NANO Nuclear's reactor technology, nuclear licensing work and fuel-cycle capabilities. For qualifying projects, the companies are considering an independent-power-producer-style model: Tillman or its affiliates would finance, develop and own the power infrastructure, while NANO Nuclear would develop, support operations for, and supply reactors and fuel to each project, with commercial terms set on a project-by-project basis. The parties are also evaluating extending the collaboration to select international markets where Tillman or its affiliates operate.

Money on the table

The framework lays out compensation for Tillman:

  • Milestone-vesting warrants to buy up to $100 million of NANO Nuclear common stock, with most vesting only after binding reactor purchase commitments and the remainder vesting on project-development milestones.
  • A $5 million restricted stock grant, part of which vests when the companies execute definitive equity-grant agreements, with the substantial majority vesting only on project-development milestones.
  • Potential rights for NANO Nuclear to hold equity in project-level entities tied to qualifying nuclear projects once specified milestones are reached, under separately negotiated terms.

All of these terms remain subject to change as the companies work out definitive documentation.