Endolith, a biological-intelligence platform using AI-guided microbes to extract copper and other critical minerals, announced it has closed an initial $13.5 million Series A, with an additional $3 million expected to close in a second tranche, following successful lab results with BHP and early commercial traction. The round was led by Squadra Ventures with participation from Draper Associates and other investors.
“Every technology, from EVs to AI data centers, depends on metals the world is running out of,” said Liz Dennett, Ph.D., CEO and founder of Endolith. “Our microbes turn mineralized material into new supply, building resilience in an industry that has not fundamentally changed in two hundred years.”
Copper demand continues to rise across electric vehicles, semiconductors and data centers, yet production cannot keep pace. New mines take more than a decade to develop, and much of the world’s 2.1 billion metric tons of known copper remains uneconomic to extract using traditional methods.
Endolith’s platform offers a faster path forward by letting microbes do the mining. Its engineered microbial systems, guided by real-time AI, recover metals from low-grade ores and mineralized materials that conventional methods leave behind. The result is faster, cleaner and more capital-efficient recovery that can extend the life of existing assets and unlock new supply without new excavation. Lab and pre-field testing have demonstrated copper recovery from mineralized waste and high-contaminant ores — such as copper-arsenic deposits — that are uneconomic to process using traditional methods. Early results indicate strong potential for higher recovery yields as the platform scales.
“Endolith is defining a new class of industrial biotech,” said Dan Madden, principal, Squadra Ventures. “By merging biology, data and industrial systems, Endolith is creating a scalable path to critical-mineral security. That supply-chain security is foundational to the technologies driving economic growth and human prosperity globally.”
“Collaborative Fund has been proud to back Endolith since its earliest days,” said Guy Vidra, partner, Collaborative Fund. “Liz and her team have moved from lab scale to field-ready at an astonishing pace. They’re proving that the intersection of biology and AI can solve some of the hardest industrial problems on the planet.”
Endolith’s technology has been validated through BHP’s Think & Act Differently innovation program and collaborations with Founders Factory and Arizona Lithium. The new funding will support Endolith’s transition from lab to field, expanding copper-recovery pilots, advancing AI-driven microbial optimization and growing its team across engineering, biology and field operations.
About Endolith
Endolith is a biological intelligence company transforming critical mineral recovery through engineered microbes and adaptive optimization. Its proprietary platform combines bioleaching with real-time data feedback to help mining companies extract more value from low-grade or complex ores cleanly, efficiently, and at scale. Dr. Liz Dennett founded Endolith with major producers to expand recovery across copper, lithium, and rare earths. Learn more at www.endolithmining.com.
Media Contact
Mahoney Communications Group
team@mahoneycommunications.com
