Still Bright has secured $18.7 million in a seed funding round. The round was co-led by Material Impact and Breakthrough Energy Ventures. The New Jersey startup will use the capital to advance its novel copper extraction technology.
The company addresses the rising demand for copper, which is essential for the global energy transition. Traditional mining methods often lose up to 20% of the metal during pre-processing. Still Bright's process, however, aims to recover nearly all copper from ore and can even process waste tailings.
A Novel Vanadium-Based Process
The core of Still Bright's copper extraction technology is a vanadium-based solution. This solution soaks the ore, drawing the copper out in a process that takes minutes to an hour. Subsequently, the system uses electricity to regenerate the vanadium solution for reuse, a concept inspired by vanadium flow batteries. This approach avoids the high-heat smelting common at firms like BHP Group.
This method significantly reduces the physical footprint and cost of equipment. The company's modular systems are 70% to 90% cheaper than conventional pyrometallurgical gear.
Still Bright plans to scale production from its current two-ton-per-year pilot unit. The new funding will help build a 500-ton-per-year demonstration facility by 2028. This development is a key step in the broader climate tech sector, which seeks innovations to compete with established giants like Rio Tinto. The company's copper extraction technology is designed for modular deployment at various mine sizes, with an ultimate goal of 10,000-ton-per-year commercial units.
