Nuburu appoints John Bolton to its board of directors

23 Aug 2023

Bolton was US National Security Advisor during the Trump regime, and has held several other high-ranking political appointments.

John Bolton

Blue industrial laser developer Nuburu has announced the appointment of former US National Security Advisor John Bolton to its board of directors.

The Colorado-based startup, which listed on the US stock market via a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) deal earlier this year, said that Bolton would help establish the company and its novel technology in defense, aerospace, and energy applications.

Defense and diplomacy
Bolton’s most recent political role was as National Security Advisor between April 2018 and September 2019 as part of the Trump administration, following high-ranking positions under the governments of Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush.

Known for his conservative views and support for military intervention, notably the invasion of Iraq, Bolton trained as a lawyer initially and became Assistant Attorney General in two government divisions under Reagan prior to being appointed US Ambassador to the United Nations under George W. Bush.

Commenting on Bolton’s new role, Nuburu co-founder and CEO Mark Zediker said: “John’s appointment is an invaluable addition to our board as we expand Nuburu’s presence in the energy and defense industries.

“Through his extensive defense and diplomacy background, John will contribute key insights to inform Nuburu’s strategic presence in the defense and energy markets. We look forward to his many valuable contributions to come.”

Earlier this year Nuburu was among seven US-based companies contracted by the US Department of Defense to further develop solid-state high-energy laser weapons.

Bolton added in the same Nuburu release: “Nuburu’s innovative technology is at the forefront of disrupting the metal machining and processing industry with its high-performance blue lasers.

“I see great potential for this innovative and proven technology to become further embedded in the energy and defense industries, and I look forward to helping establish the company as a key player in this sector.”

Power beaming with NASA
Bolton’s appointment follows news earlier this month that Nuburu had won a NASA contract to demonstrate the feasibility of “power beaming” in space.

The idea is to use light instead of wires for power, thus mitigating the high costs associated with transporting copper or aluminum material with which to power lunar or planetary bases.

“Powered by our blue laser technology, the system we are developing will provide a unique solution that dramatically reduces the size and weight of the equipment needed to meet regular mission needs,” said Zediker at the time.

The initial focus of the project will be to establish the scientific, technical, and commercial merit and feasibility of the technology, with the company hoping to create a viable product subsequently.

Nuburu’s latest financial results show that the company posted an operating loss of $6.4 million on sales of $1.1 million in the quarter ending June 30, burning through $5.1 million cash in the process.

The same results indicated that the firm held $6.6 million in cash and equivalent liquid assets at the end of the quarter.

Discussing those results, Zediker said that Nuburu had been affected by supply chain bottlenecks impacting procurement of scanner and lens components, and had implemented “alternative sourcing initiatives” as a result.