There is major demand for cleaner technologies, stronger electronics, and better AI systems. However, the challenge is that is requires a lot of metal, but getting those metals out of the ground is getting harder.

Boston Metal recently raised $75 million to expand its new metals production platform. This brings its total funding to over $500 million, with steel giant Tata Steel joining the funding round. Tata’s funding shows that the new system has support from big names in the industry.

Instead of relying on outdated mining and smelting practices, the company uses a process called Molten Oxide Electrolysis. It is similar to using electricity to zap metals out of materials that other companies usually throw away.

Relying on Waste For Metal

Right now, the company is focusing on critical metals like niobium, tantalum, vanadium, and nickel. These might not sound familiar, but they are crucial for defense, manufacturing, and computer chips.

Usually, these metals are trapped in low-grade ores or industrial waste. Boston Metal’s tech can pull high-value metals straight out of those leftover materials. This keeps capital costs low and helps secure the supply chain without relying on complicated global shipping and mining.

“This financing marks a pivotal step for Boston Metal,” said Rick Cutright, Technology Director at Climate Investment. “The company has built a new metallurgical platform and demonstrated its ability to produce high-quality metals from complex feedstocks; now the focus is commercial production. Critical metals are the right first market because the need is immediate, the economics are attractive and MOE can expand supply from materials that conventional processes leave behind.”

Scaling the Commercial Production

The goal now is to scale up commercial production in the U.S. and around the world. Because the process is flexible, it can be adjusted to pull out different types of metals depending on what factories need.

“Critical metals are the new strategic commodities,” said Tadeu Carneiro, CEO of Boston Metal. “MOE is creating a scalable and cost-effective pathway to recover critical, high-value metals, support industrial onshoring and strengthen the secure supply of critical materials needed for advanced technologies, manufacturing and AI.”

According to company leaders, instead of digging bigger holes in the earth, the future of tech may depend on making better use of what we already have.

“The world doesn’t just need more metals, it needs smarter, more adaptable ways to produce them,” added Mark Cupta, Managing Director at Prelude Ventures. “MOE stands out for its flexibility as a true platform technology, capable of operating across multiple metal systems with a high degree of selectivity.”

Cupta added, “The Boston Metal team has developed a differentiated technology and is now utilizing that technology to unlock a new generation of critical metals assets.”