One mining startup has received major investment from tech giants like Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, taking its market cap to just under $3,000,000,000 as it aims to rival China in sourcing key materials.
Mining has always been a profitable venture, but with the swift rise of battery-based technology it's incredibly important - and extremely profitable - to be sourcing certain materials right now.
Currently America exports most of its critical minerals (copper, lithium, nickel, and more) from China, but investment in certain US-based companies could cause a shift in power and save certain companies a lot of money on imports.
Recent years have seen key discoveries of rare-earth mineral deposits worth tens of billions of dollars on US soil, but this particular startup aims to use AI-based technology to unearth further unforeseen hot spots.
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The company in question is KoBold Metals, and has managed to raise upwards of $537,000,000 in the latest round of funding - with investors including Microsoft's Bill Gates, Amazon's Jeff Bezos, and leading mining group BHP.
Recent funding has taken the company towards a market value of $2,960,000,000, as many predict that the developments brought forward by KoBold will have major ramifications on key industries and the economy at large.
This is because it aims to mine materials that are key in the manufacturing of electric car batteries, superconductors, and other vitally important components in emerging tech.
It also aims to use generative AI technology provided by OpenAI to analyze existing data and identify previously undiscovered mineral deposits, which could prove incredibly fruitful to the company's mining efforts if successfully implemented.
Arguably it also creates a more 'environmentally friendly' approach to mining as it's more precise, leaving fewer negative effects on the surrounding environment.
This has been supported by Carmichael Roberts, who is a managing partner at Breakthrough Energy Ventures, as he claims that the AI sourcing will provide "a more secure, affordable, and clean energy future for all."
There have been worries from some that president-elect Donald Trump's alleged stance on electric vehicle policy laid out by the previous government would harm the developments made by companies like KoBold, but they remain confident that their efforts have maintained support.
KoBold co-found and CEO Kurt House continued to assert confidence that the company's mission held bipartisan support, and that he has "had plenty of conversations with people who will be associated with the next administration who are very enthusiastic about KoBold's mission."
You have to imagine that Elon Musk - who currently holds a very close relationship with Trump - would see KoBold's aims as a massive benefit considering his rose as Tesla CEO, as the availability of these materials within the US market would significantly benefit the EV company's production and costs.