Mining Startups funded by Y Combinator (YC) 2026

1849 bio designs microbes enabling cheap metal extraction allowing miners to unlock value from low quality copper and gold ores. Surprisingly, the mining industry is one of the largest scale users of biotech in the world with biomining processes accounting for ~1% of global copper production. Biomining is ultra-low cost, running around ~$1/ton of ore vs ~$7/ton for conventional processes. Unfortunately, while biomining is cheap, it can’t be applied to over 80% of copper ores, leaving vast resources without profitable extraction methods. An estimated ~$800B of copper sit today in waste materials and stockpiles with negative unit economics. While a great deal of effort has been spent on optimizing microbial metal extraction processes, very little effort has been spent on optimizing the microbes themselves. To change that, we’re creating new biotech tools and platforms applied directly to the types of biology most relevant to miners. This enables us to develop new microbes and tackle some of the most difficult problems in biomining, unlocking billions in value from unprofitable resources while being more environmentally friendly than conventional processes. We’re world class microbial engineers. We met while doing our PhDs in synthetic biology, where we spent our time applying and developing the most advanced bioengineering technologies to engineer living cells. 

Impossible mining is building underwater robotics vehicles which collect battery metals from the seabed without harming the environment. We have $500M+ in off-take LoI’s and have signed a partnership with a global offshore logistics company which holds a seabed mining exploration permit. We have also built the 1st PoC underwater robotic arm. Polymetallic nodules are rocks which are rich in critical battery metals. Specially nickel, cobalt, manganese and copper. These metals are the the most expensive part of EVs.

The mining industry drills narrow holes in the ground called drillholes to identify how much gold is in a ground at any spot. These holes are expensive so the industry uses statistical interpolation to predict what's in between these holes. Stratum replaces these traditional methods by utilizing deep learning to better predict both where to best drill and how much gold is in between these holes. This technology is not limited to gold and has been demonstrated to work on other metals, including base metals like copper. Based on Stratum's current pilots, our technology is projected to create ~10M in annual value for the average mine.

EARTH AI is a predictive explorer and driller for critical metal deposits. We discovered 5% of the world’s deposits this year, thanks to our AI with 66% vs 0.5% success rate and Low Disturbance Drilling tech which enables 1/4 cheaper and 4X faster site testing.

TENDERD is an AI and IoT platform that helps companies manage and optimize their physical operations. By connecting and analyzing data from fleets, equipment, and worksites in real time, TENDERD enables organizations to improve safety, productivity, and sustainability while reducing fuel use, emissions, and downtime. Trusted by leading energy, logistics, and infrastructure companies, TENDERD turns operational data into actionable intelligence for smarter, more efficient field operations.