NANO Nuclear Energy and Tillman Digital Gateway sign framework agreement to supply advanced nuclear power to U.S. AI industrial zones

NANO Nuclear Energy (NASDAQ: NNE) and Tillman Digital Gateway signed a non-binding Strategic Commercial Framework on August 24, 2026, in New York, naming NANO Nuclear as Tillman’s preferred nuclear technology provider. The deal targets the growing power demands of Tillman’s planned AI industrial zones across the U.S.—campuses designed to handle gigawatt-scale electricity requirements from hyperscale and AI tenants.

Agreement designates NANO Nuclear as preferred nuclear technology provider

The framework names NANO Nuclear as Tillman’s anticipated preferred nuclear technology provider across its planned U.S. AI industrial zone portfolio. That designation covers the full project-development lifecycle—from site evaluation and licensing through customer engagement and eventual deployment.

The two companies also plan to collaborate on regulatory and development planning as individual sites move forward. The framework opens a parallel opportunity to extend the relationship to select international markets where Tillman or its affiliates are developing or evaluating large-scale digital infrastructure. Worth stating clearly upfront: this agreement is non-binding, with all terms still subject to definitive documentation, site-specific agreements, customer commitments, financing, and regulatory approvals.

The agreement contemplates issuing Tillman warrants to purchase up to $100 million of NANO Nuclear common stock, though none of those warrants vest automatically.

Power demand from AI infrastructure drives the partnership

Tillman is building a multi-state pipeline of AI industrial zones designed to serve hyperscale and AI tenants with gigawatt-scale electricity requirements. Sustained demand at that scale is hard to meet with conventional grid connections alone—and power availability has become a primary bottleneck across the entire AI infrastructure sector.

Tillman’s answer is a “power-first” development strategy. Sites get evaluated for their ability to accommodate multiple generation sources, and physical space is reserved for advanced nuclear as a medium- to long-term baseload option—planning for nuclear integration before a campus even opens.

NANO Nuclear’s KRONOS MMR Energy System fits that model directly. It’s a 15 MWe High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor built for modular, phased deployment, and its architecture lets operators add capacity incrementally as a campus scales rather than requiring one large upfront installation.

Framework targets 2 GW by mid-2030s and 6 GW by 2040

The parties have set explicit capacity targets: 2 GW or more of advanced nuclear capacity by the mid-2030s, with a longer-term goal of 6 GW or more across Tillman projects by 2040. Both figures depend on definitive agreements, financing, and regulatory approvals.

The contemplated deployment model follows an independent-power-producer (IPP) structure. Under that setup, Tillman or its affiliates would finance, develop, and own the power infrastructure at each site, while NANO Nuclear would develop the reactors, support operations, and supply the fuel. Specific commercial terms would get negotiated project by project.

The framework also contemplates potential rights for NANO Nuclear to participate in the equity of certain project-level entities—participation that would kick in once qualifying nuclear projects hit specified development milestones, subject to separately negotiated, project-specific terms.

Warrant arrangement and equity grant structure the financial terms

The financial structure centers on milestone-vesting warrants. The agreement contemplates issuing Tillman warrants to purchase up to $100 million of NANO Nuclear common stock, though none of those warrants vest automatically. A majority vest only upon future binding reactor purchase commitments; the remainder vest upon achievement of specified project-development milestones. That structure ties Tillman’s financial upside directly to concrete progress on actual projects.

The framework also contemplates an initial restricted common stock grant to Tillman with a notional value of $5 million. A portion would vest upon execution of definitive equity grant agreements, while the substantial majority vests only upon project-development milestones. All terms remain subject to final definitive documentation.

Background: NANO Nuclear and Tillman’s infrastructure track records

NANO Nuclear Energy is a NASDAQ-listed advanced nuclear micro modular reactor company focused on next-generation energy solutions, with the KRONOS MMR Energy System as its primary commercial product under development. EAS Advisors LLC, acting through Odeon Capital Group LLC, is advising the company on this transaction.

Tillman Global Holdings brings a different but complementary track record. The firm and its affiliates have developed U.S. cell towers, fiber infrastructure, in-building connectivity systems, and EV charging networks. Since inception, Tillman has secured approximately $16 billion of capital across those businesses.

Tillman Digital Gateway is the company’s global data-center platform and the direct counterpart in this agreement. It’s currently advancing a multi-state AI industrial zone pipeline in the United States—the portfolio that NANO Nuclear‘s reactors are intended to eventually power.

Binding purchase commitments and project-development milestones

The NANO Nuclear–Tillman Digital Gateway framework is a non-binding but detailed commercial agreement that establishes NANO Nuclear as Tillman’s preferred nuclear technology provider for U.S. AI industrial zones. The parties are targeting 2 GW of advanced nuclear capacity by the mid-2030s and 6 GW by 2040, using an IPP-style deployment model.

Financial terms include milestone-vesting warrants for up to $100 million in NANO Nuclear stock and a $5 million restricted stock grant to Tillman—both tied to binding purchase commitments and project-development milestones rather than the signing itself.

No binding obligations exist yet. Execution depends on definitive agreements, site-level diligence, regulatory approvals, and customer commitments. Even so, the framework signals an early-stage but structured effort to bring advanced nuclear power into the next generation of AI infrastructure campuses.

Kelly Lippke

Kelly is an experienced writer with 15 years of experience exploring the big stories that shape our world, from tech breakthroughs and space exploration to climate, energy, and the fascinating quirks of science. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into sharp, memorable insights that stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading.