Slough also started Helion Energy for power generation. They built a 1/3 scale device and last I heard needed $20 million for full scale. They just happened to get the NASA funding first.
I’d bet that if they’re successful with the rocket design they’ll have little difficulty getting funding for Helion.
On the other hand, fusion rockets would open up the solar system to large-scale exploitation and colonization, so the impact could be pretty major. (And of course focus fusion would make a nice rocket as well, perhaps better for really long trips since the exhaust velocity is so high.)
