"Absent any changes, the world could face a severe shortfall as early as 2040, with demand exceeding supply by as much as 25%. If copper seems expensive today, just wait a few years. Companies and investors have been pouring money into the sector as demand ramps up. AI minerals startup KoBold, for example, raised $537 million last year to exploit a copper deposit it found in Zambia."
"Microbes have always been key players in the copper world, helping the metal break out of its mineral form so that we can refine it into pure metal. Companies have been working for years to coax microbes into squeezing more copper out of ore, but according to Sasha Milshteyn, co-founder and CEO of Transition, they've been going about it the wrong way."
Global copper demand could outstrip supply by up to 25% by 2040, creating a looming shortfall and likely higher prices. Investors and companies are increasing investment in copper exploration and production, exemplified by KoBold's $537 million raise for a Zambian deposit. Microbes naturally facilitate copper extraction from ore, and Transition Metal Solutions claims it can boost copper yields 20–30% by using additives that enhance microbial activity. Transition Metal Solutions closed a $6 million seed round to scale the technology. Conventional approaches isolate or engineer microbial strains and apply them to heaps, but those efforts often produce only transient or no gains.
Read at TechCrunch
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