Unlocking trapped potential in mining.
We engineer biomolecules to maximize metal extraction
A 5% increase in yield unlocks up to $100M in Revenues per mine
By 2025, the world will need $200B of metals annually
Mining tailings contain around $3T worth of trapped metals
Freeport-McMoRan is leveraging new processing technology to significantly increase copper production without opening new mines. The company aims to add 800 million pounds of copper annually, CEO Kathleen Quirk emphasized the difficulty of developing new copper supply, highlighting the necessity of this initiative amid growing copper demand and limited supply.
"You think about 800 million pounds of copper a year—that’s the size of a big mine. That’s meaningful. Our team is working very aggressively to get that done."
BHP is leveraging advanced digital technologies to improve copper production at its existing mines, focusing on maximizing value as new economic discoveries become scarce.
"We expect the next big wave in mining to come from the advanced use of digital technologies. As grades decline at existing copper mines and fewer new economic discoveries are made, next-generation technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics will need to be used to unlock more production and value from our existing mines."
These minerals possess crucial properties that enhance energy capture, storage, and distribution. As a result, they are essential to green technologies like wind turbines, solar panels, batteries, and energy grids.
The global energy transition, crucial for combating climate change, hinges on a hidden challenge: securing critical minerals. These minerals are the building blocks of clean energy technologies, from electric vehicles to solar panels. However, as demand surges, high-grade deposits are depleting, leaving us with lower-quality ores that are increasingly difficult and environmentally costly to extract.
At Giraffe Bio, we're tackling this challenge head-on. Our breakthrough lies in harnessing the power of biology to revolutionize mining. We custom-engineer biomolecules that act as precision tools, each tailored to extract specific minerals from unique geological profiles. This means we can efficiently process complex, low-grade deposits that were previously uneconomical or environmentally problematic.
We develop custom biomolecules that maximize metal recovery from low-grade ores and mining waste, outperforming traditional chemicals in selectivity, yield, and sustainability.
Our technology currently targets copper and lithium, with plans to expand into gold, nickel, rare earth elements, and other critical minerals essential for the energy transition.
We partner with mining companies as a B2B solution provider, integrating our technology into existing processes (drop-in) to boost recovery and reduce both costs and time.
Our biomolecules reduce water and energy consumption, minimize chemical use, and unlock value from resources that would otherwise go to waste, making mining more sustainable.
We are conducting lab-scale pilots with mining companies, demonstrating the applicability of the technology and its potential to reshape mining extraction processes.
