Nuclear energy specialist Oklo (NYSE: OKLO) is positioning itself as a critical power supplier for the artificial intelligence and data center industries worldwide.
One of Oklo’s earliest and most high-profile investors was Sam Altman, the founder of OpenAI and ChatGPT, who served as chairman of Oklo as recently as 2025.
Altman stepped down from the chairman role to avoid a conflict of interest, given that OpenAI is among the heaviest data center users in the world.
OpenAI’s rapid growth rates depend heavily on the construction of new data centers, which in turn require massive new sources of reliable electricity to operate.
That fundamental energy problem is what drew Altman to Oklo’s small modular reactor technology, known as SMRs, in the first place.
Oklo’s ambitions extend well beyond supplying power to OpenAI, with the company targeting AI firms and data center operators on a global scale.
Altman’s departure from the chairmanship was partly strategic, ensuring that OpenAI’s competitors would not hesitate to work with Oklo on their own energy needs.
Bank of America analysts have echoed Altman’s confidence in nuclear energy, estimating the global nuclear opportunity to be worth around $10 trillion.
The Bank of America research identified SMR technology as hitting key growth inflection points sometime between 2030 and 2035, placing Oklo squarely in that long-term expansion window.
McKinsey and Co. adds further weight to the opportunity, predicting that $7 trillion will be spent over the coming years to build out global data center infrastructure.
McKinsey’s report directly addresses the power supply problem facing the sector, stating: “Capital is pouring into data center development, but there are real constraints on growth. Incumbents can’t meet demand for power.”
Oklo’s SMR systems are designed to fill exactly that gap, providing modular, scalable nuclear power to facilities that cannot rely on traditional grid supply alone.
The company’s sales pipeline is reportedly growing, with several large technology firms with significant capital budgets already in discussions about potential energy supply agreements.
The most immediate challenge facing Oklo is not customer demand but real-world validation, as its first plant is not expected to come online until 2027 or 2028.
Critical regulatory approvals remain outstanding, and there is no certainty that the company’s debut facility will arrive on schedule or within its projected budget.
With a market capitalization currently below $20 billion, analysts and observers see meaningful upside potential in the stock if Oklo’s technology delivers on its promises.
The path to that upside carries considerable risk, however, and investors should weigh the company’s early-stage status against the scale of the opportunity it is pursuing.
