Michael Montecalvo joins NANO Nuclear following Senior Licensing Manager role at other advanced reactor developers and previous experience with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
New York, N.Y., Jan. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) (“NANO Nuclear” or “the Company”), a leading advanced nuclear micro modular reactor (MMR) and technology company focused on developing clean energy solutions, today announced that it has appointed former NRC professional, Michael Montecalvo as its Licensing Director.
Mr. Montecalvo’s appointment strengthens NANO Nuclear’s already experienced regulatory and licensing capabilities as NANO Nuclear continues to develop its suite of proprietary modular nuclear microreactors, including the KRONOS MMRTM, LOKI MMRTM and ZEUSTM, through U.S. licensing pathways. NANO Nuclear’s existing regulatory personnel already includes senior veterans from the U.S. government, including U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
In this role, Mr. Montecalvo will leverage his experience with the NRC and other advanced reactor developers to lead NANO Nuclear’s licensing strategy and regulatory engagement, supporting the progression of NANO Nuclear’s products in development and technologies toward key licensing, demonstration, and eventual commercial deployment milestones.
“As NANO Nuclear progresses toward the deployment of commercially-ready modular microreactor systems and other technologies, regulatory engagement and approvals are of course critical. Michael’s appointment marks another important step in strengthening our regulatory capabilities,” said Jay Yu, Founder and Chairman of NANO Nuclear. “Michael brings extensive experience from his time with the NRC and a deep understanding of regulatory frameworks for advanced reactor designs from his role at other advanced reactor developers. With this regulatory and commercial experience, I am confident Michael will support our progress through the licensing process in a timely and disciplined manner while maintaining the highest standards of safety and compliance.”
Mr. Montecalvo has over 30 years of experience in the nuclear field including military, government, and industry. He began his nuclear career in the U.S. Navy as a Submarine Electrician, was an instructor at the S8G prototype and ended his enlistment aboard the USS Greeneville (SSN-772).
Figure 1 – NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. Appoints Experienced NRC Professional Michael Montecalvo as its Licensing Director.
Thereafter, Mr. Montecalvo transitioned to the commercial nuclear industry with positions in Operations, Maintenance, Work Control, and Human Performance. He served as the Technical Assistant to two Chief Nuclear Officers and is a previously NRC-licensed PWR Senior Reactor Operator and Shift Technical Advisor. While at the NRC, he was a qualified Technical Reviewer, Risk and Reliability Analyst, Resident Inspector, and Senior Reactor Analyst supporting technical reviews and risk assessments for the operating reactor fleet. He was also involved in furthering advancement of risk-informed performance-based regulation. He has experience with advanced reactor licensing for both power reactors and non-power utilization facilities.
Mr. Montecalvo holds a B.S. degree in Applied Arts and Sciences from Rochester Institute of Technology and a B.S. degree in Nuclear Engineering Technology from Excelsior College. He is also a former World Nuclear University Summer Institute Fellow.
“As NANO Nuclear advances its business plans forward, licensing becomes increasingly important, and Michael’s leadership will offer crucial support to our regulatory engagement,” said James Walker, Chief Executive Officer of NANO Nuclear. “His experience will be instrumental to NANO Nuclear as we navigate the full scope of the NRC’s licensing process, including engineering design, safety analysis, environmental review, and stakeholder engagement. We are pleased to welcome Michael to NANO Nuclear as we enter this important next phase of development and growth.”
“Michael’s appointment comes at a pivotal stage as we prepare to initiate the formal licensing process for the KRONOS MMRTM Energy System,” said Florent Heidet, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer and Head of Reactor Development of NANO Nuclear. “Michael’s extensive experience will support a disciplined, timely, and financially responsible approach to our regulatory engagement. Advancing our KRONOS MMRTM technology into regulatory review represents an important milestone for us and further positions NANO Nuclear as a leading participant in the U.S. microreactor market.”