ZettaJoule Appoints Energy Finance Executive Kian Granmayeh as Chief Financial Officer

ZettaJoule hires experienced energy finance leader Kian Granmayeh as CFO to bolster capital markets and project financing capabilities.

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HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ZettaJoule Inc., an advanced nuclear energy company, has appointed energy finance executive Kian Granmayeh as its Chief Financial Officer to support the next phase of the company’s growth.

ZettaJoule CFO Kian Granmayeh

Granmayeh is a seasoned energy finance veteran with a track record of leading organizations through complex periods of growth and capital formation. As Chief Financial Officer of Tellurian Inc., a U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) developer, he led the company's efforts to structure and advance project financing for a multibillion-dollar LNG export project and negotiated and executed more than $1.4 billion in corporate-level capital markets transactions.

Granmayeh has previously served as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of two publicly traded companies. Most recently, he was Executive Vice President, CFO and Treasurer of Carriage Services Inc. (NYSE: CSV). Earlier in his career, he advised energy companies on mergers and acquisitions, restructurings and private placements as an investment banker within Lazard's Energy Banking Group. He held increasingly senior roles in financial planning and analysis and investor relations at Apache Corporation, where he engaged directly with institutional investors and Wall Street analysts.

“Kian is joining ZettaJoule at an important time for our company, and we are very pleased to welcome him to our leadership team,” ZettaJoule Co-Founder, President and CEO Mitsuo Shimofuji said. “As we move toward commercial deployment and prepare ZettaJoule for its next stage of growth, we need to build not only a strong technology and project organization, but also a strong financial foundation. Kian is exactly the kind of leader we need at this stage.

His experience in capital markets and investor relations, combined with his expertise in financing multibillion-dollar energy projects, will be invaluable as we advance our reactor development, expand key partnerships and scale the company.”

Granmayeh said he looks forward to bringing more than 17 years of experience in energy finance to the company.

“This is a great time to join ZettaJoule because I see enormous potential in the company’s mission to modernize high-temperature gas-cooled reactor technology to help meet the ever-increasing energy needs of data centers and large-scale industrial operations,” he said. “The staff is one of the strongest next-gen nuclear teams in the world. I’m looking forward to leveraging my energy industry and financing experience and my network to help strengthen the company’s financial foundation and position it for long-term success.”

Granmayeh holds a Bachelor of Arts in Neuroscience and Behavior from Columbia University and an MBA from Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Management.

About ZettaJoule

ZettaJoule is a next-generation nuclear energy company focused on delivering energy security in an increasingly energy-constrained world. Built on proven High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR) technology, ZettaJoule is developing advanced modular reactors that will deliver safe, reliable, secure, affordable electricity and very high-temperature industrial heat to meet the growing demands of crucial infrastructure, such as data centers and essential manufacturing operations.

Headquartered in Houston, ZettaJoule is led by the only team in the Western world with direct experience designing, licensing, building, and operating an HTGR reactor capable of producing process heat up to 950 °C. The company combines deep technical expertise with a pragmatic, execution-focused approach. ZettaJoule’s mission is to deploy a global fleet of advanced reactors that sets a new standard for safety, cost-effectiveness, and continuous performance – enabling a future defined by energy security, resilience, and independence.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260921046688/en/

Sherry Williams, Communications Director (Media@Zetta-Joule.com)

Source: ZettaJoule

Key Terms

liquefied natural gas technical

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is natural gas that has been cooled into a liquid so it can be shipped and stored more easily—think of it like condensing a bulky gas into a compact, refrigerated form for transport. It matters to investors because LNG supply, shipping capacity, and long-term contracts influence energy prices, company revenues, and exposure to geopolitical or infrastructure risks, much like how a clogged highway can delay deliveries and raise costs.

capital formation financial

Capital formation is the process by which businesses and economies gather money needed to grow and operate, for example through reinvesting profits, selling shares, or taking on loans. Think of it as filling a fuel tank that powers expansion, product development, or new projects. For investors, how effectively and cheaply capital is raised affects a company’s growth prospects, profit potential and the risk or dilution of existing holdings.

private placements financial

Private placements are sales of a company’s securities—such as shares or bonds—directly to a small group of selected investors rather than to the general public. Think of it like a private sale to a few buyers who negotiate terms, and it matters to investors because it changes a company’s cash position, can dilute existing ownership, alter control or voting power, and may affect share liquidity and market value when those securities eventually reach public markets.

high-temperature gas-cooled reactor technology technical

A high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) is a type of nuclear reactor that uses a gas—usually helium—for cooling and a solid graphite core to slow neutrons, allowing the reactor to operate at much higher outlet temperatures than conventional reactors. Higher temperatures enable more efficient electricity generation and the production of industrial process heat, and the technology often features modular designs and inherent safety characteristics; those technical and commercial traits affect capital costs, regulatory approval paths, potential markets, and long-term revenue prospects, which is why it matters to investors.