Work on a digital twin for next-generation reactors fits directly into the national lab's legacy of firsts in nuclear innovations.

In Governor Bill Lee's final State of the State Address for Tennessee, he put a spotlight on nuclear, rural innovation, and computing technologies like quantum and artificial intelligence.

"When you look across the ecosystem. I think the Lighthouse is probably one of the most grassroots organizations. I think we're a little bit punk rock, and our own little self-sustaining community," the founder, Zap, said.

The company said its long-term plans include growing the Oak Ridge workforce as manufacturing scales and continuing to invest in facilities that support defense, energy, and space programs.

For East Tennessee, the announcement adds to the region’s growing footprint in advanced nuclear manufacturing and fuel development. 

The announcement came on Friday from Centrus and the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.

This is the third story in an eight-part Investor Outlook series. This feature dives into how macroeconomic conditions affected investor appetites in 2025.

The Whitecoat team shared the onboarding of 10+ notable, high-volume clients in the past year, such as the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association, Tennessee Hospital Association and Northern Arizona University.