TL;DR
Transition Metal Solutions is developing additive 'cocktails' to shift entire microbial communities in heap leaches, aiming to raise copper recovery rates. The startup says lab tests show large gains and has raised $6 million to fund third‑party validation and larger field trials.
What happened
Transition Metal Solutions is pursuing an alternative to the usual approach of isolating and dosing single microbial strains in heap leach operations. The company’s co-founder and CEO, Sasha Milshteyn, argues that microbes in ore heaps operate as diverse communities and that boosting community function, rather than single species, yields better results. The firm applies low-cost, mostly inorganic compounds — described as a probiotic-style cocktail — to nudge the whole microbial community toward a higher functional state. In lab samples the startup reports increasing copper extraction to about 90% from roughly 60% with standard methods. Outside the lab, Milshteyn expects recovery improvements relative to typical heap leach rates and projects lifting field extraction into a roughly 50%–70% range from conventional 30%–60%. Transition closed a $6 million seed round led by Transition Ventures and plans third-party metallurgy testing followed by a demonstration heap comprising tens of thousands of tons.
Why it matters
- Copper is a critical mineral with projected demand increases; higher recovery rates could help narrow future supply shortfalls.
- Raising the proportion of copper recovered from existing ore could increase output without immediately developing new deposits.
- If validated, the approach offers a potentially low-cost way to improve yield using additives already found at mining sites.
- Independent third-party testing and large-scale demonstrations will be key for industry adoption and credibility.
Key facts
- Analysts project a potential copper supply shortfall as early as 2040, with demand possibly exceeding supply by about 25%.
- Transition Metal Solutions says it can boost copper production by an estimated 20% to 30% using its additives.
- In laboratory trials reported by the company, copper extraction rose to about 90% versus roughly 60% with traditional methods.
- Typical real-world heap leach operations recover about 30% to 60% of the copper in ore; Transition expects to raise that to roughly 50%–70% in the field.
- The startup raised $6 million in a seed round led by Transition Ventures, with participation from multiple investors including Astor Management AG, Climate Capital, Dolby Family Ventures, Essential Capital, Juniper VC, Kayak Ventures, New Climate Ventures, Possible Ventures, SOSV, and Understorey Ventures.
- Transition’s additives are described as low-cost, mostly inorganic compounds that are already present at mining sites.
- Industry standard microbiology captures and cultures only a small fraction of the microbes present in heap leach material — typically around 5% — while over 90% of the community may be unfamiliar to researchers, according to the company.
- The company plans to validate results with a recognized third-party metallurgy lab before running a demonstration heap of tens of thousands of tons.
What to watch next
- Results from the planned third-party metallurgy lab tests that Transition has committed to.
- Performance metrics and copper recovery rates from the demonstration heap containing tens of thousands of tons of material.
- Whether the company can reliably tailor additives to different mines and move from lab gains to consistent field-level improvements.
- Adoption by mining operators and independent verification of long-term efficacy and cost benefits.
Quick glossary
- Heap leach: An extraction process where ore is piled and irrigated with a solution that dissolves target metals for subsequent recovery.
- Bioleaching: Use of microorganisms to solubilize metals from ores, enabling recovery of elements like copper without conventional smelting.
- Microbial community: A diverse assemblage of microorganisms that interact ecologically and collectively influence biochemical processes.
- Critical mineral: A mineral deemed essential for economic or national security with potential supply risks.
Reader FAQ
Has Transition shown field-scale results yet?
Not confirmed in the source; the company reports lab gains and plans third-party tests and a demonstration heap.
How much funding has the startup raised?
The company raised $6 million in a seed round led by Transition Ventures with several participating investors.
Can this approach eliminate the projected copper shortage?
Not confirmed in the source; the company suggests the technology could help narrow future shortfalls but definitive impact has not been established.
Are the additives new or exotic chemicals?
The source says the compounds are low-cost, mostly inorganic, and already found at mining sites.
Five years from now, the world might start running short on copper, the critical mineral used in everything from data centers to electric vehicles. Absent any changes, the world could…
Sources
- How one startup is using probiotics to try and ease the copper shortage
- Biotech Startup Backed By Tim Draper Raises $13.5M To …
- Mining with Microbes and AI
- Endolith corrals microbes to increase copper supplies
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