Oklo Inc. (OKLO) is having a good Wednesday, with shares climbing after the nuclear reactor company announced a partnership that could accelerate one of its flagship projects.

What Happened: Oklo and Siemens Energy signed a binding contract for the design and delivery of the power conversion system for Oklo's Aurora powerhouse. This isn't just a handshake deal—the agreement gives Siemens Energy the green light to start engineering and design work right away, expediting procurement of long-lead components and kicking off the manufacturing process.

Shares jumped nearly 4% following the news, trading up 3.62% at $100.07 at the time of publication Wednesday.

The partnership brings together two complementary strengths: Oklo's expertise in advanced fission technology and Siemens Energy's battle-tested steam turbine and generator systems. The goal is to deliver clean, reliable electricity through a combination that leverages proven technology rather than reinventing the wheel.

"Aurora's inherent safety allows us to use proven, commercially available power systems like Siemens Energy's turbine technology. That design philosophy shortens timelines, lowers costs, and turns advanced nuclear into a deployable product," said Oklo CPO Alex Renner.

"We believe this is a historic step forward for the advanced nuclear industry—a real-world purchase that demonstrates progress toward deployment and operation."

Why It Matters: For Oklo, this represents tangible progress on Aurora. By securing a binding contract with an established player like Siemens Energy, the company is moving from concept to concrete action—ordering actual components and starting the manufacturing process. That's the kind of milestone investors like to see in the nuclear space, where timelines can stretch and promises sometimes outpace execution.