KoBold Metals

KoBold Metals is a technology company.

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Updated: Feb 17, 2026 ·

Recent News & Mentions

Oct 1, 2024FundingKoBold Metals - Series C Jun 1, 2023FundingKoBold Metals - Series B Feb 1, 2022FundingKoBold Metals - Series B

Financial History

KoBold Metals has raised $930.0M across 3 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $540.0M Series C in October 2024.

Total Raised

$930.0M

Valuation

N/A

Funding Rounds Raised

Date	Round	Other Investors
Oct 1, 2024	$540.0M Series C	Andreessen Horowitz, Anicut Capital, Bond, HV Capital, Polychain Capital, RTP Global, AMIT GOGIA, Maria Raga, Sam Altman, Scott Belsky
Jun 1, 2023	$200.0M Series B	Andreessen Horowitz, Anicut Capital, Bond, HV Capital, Polychain Capital, RTP Global, AMIT GOGIA, Maria Raga, Sam Altman, Scott Belsky
Feb 1, 2022	$190.0M Series B	Andreessen Horowitz, Anicut Capital, Bond, FPV Fund, HV Capital, Kleiner Perkins, LGF, Not Boring Capital, Polychain Capital, RTP Global, Sequoia Capital, Spark Capital, Thrive Capital, Weekend Fund, AMIT GOGIA, Maria Raga, Michael Moritz, Sam Altman, Scott Belsky

Financial History

KoBold Metals has raised $930.0M across 3 funding rounds.

Total Raised

$930.0M

Valuation

N/A

Deep Dive

High-Level Overview

KoBold Metals is a scientific mineral exploration and development company that applies AI, machine learning, and advanced data analytics to discover critical battery metals like copper, cobalt, lithium, and nickel.[1][2][3] Founded in 2018, it addresses the global supply gap for these minerals essential to the electrification economy by transforming exploration from guesswork into a repeatable science, using state-of-the-art hardware, centralized data organization, predictive models, and expert teams.[1][2] The company serves the clean energy sector, particularly electric vehicle manufacturers and battery producers, by solving the problem of insufficient, ethical supplies of battery metals amid surging demand driven by net-zero goals.[3][4][8] Key achievements include the Mingomba discovery in Zambia—one of the world’s largest copper mines—and expansions into lithium and cobalt projects, with backing from investors like Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, demonstrating strong growth momentum through $195M+ funding rounds and global exploration rights.[1][2][4][5]

Origin Story

KoBold Metals was founded in 2018 by Kurt House (CEO), Josh Goldman, and Jeff Jurinak, who identified critical flaws in traditional mineral exploration: scattered data, siloed teams, bespoke analyses, and outdated methods that failed to keep pace with rising demand for electrification materials.[1] House, a serial entrepreneur with expertise in energy and tech, along with Goldman and Jurinak's domain knowledge, recognized the need for a scientific overhaul to produce copper, cobalt, lithium, and nickel at scale.[1][3] Early traction came from ambitious integration of technology into real-world projects, proving AI-driven tools on KoBold-owned exploration sites, which evolved the company from pure tech development to a full-stack explorer and mine developer, highlighted by the pivotal Mingomba copper discovery in Zambia.[1][2]

Core Differentiators

KoBold stands out in the mining industry through these key strengths:

AI-Powered Exploration Science: Builds "Google Maps for the Earth's crust" using massive datasets, machine learning models, novel sensors, and geophysical hardware to predict mineral deposits more accurately than traditional manual methods.[1][2][3][4][6]
Full-Stack Operations: Owns and operates exploration projects, integrating technologists as explorers to deploy hardware/software in the field, centralize crustal data, and generate testable hypotheses driven by human-AI synergy.[1][2][6]
Ethical and Sustainable Focus: Prioritizes environmental protection, safety, community support, and ethical sourcing to reduce reliance on high-risk areas like the DRC, building the world's largest ethical battery metals portfolio.[3][4][8]
Proven Track Record: Major discoveries like Mingomba (Zambia copper mine) and expansions into Quebec cobalt and global lithium, backed by top-tier investors and $195M+ raises.[1][2][4][5]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

KoBold rides the explosive trend of the energy transition, where electric vehicle adoption and net-zero policies create a multitrillion-dollar supply gap for battery metals that traditional exploration cannot fill.[1][3][4][8] Its timing is ideal amid soaring EV demand and geopolitical pushes for supply chain resilience, leveraging Silicon Valley-style big data and AI—uncommon in mining—to unlock deposits in less obvious locations faster and more reliably.[3][4] Market forces like ESG mandates and investor interest from cleantech funds (e.g., Equinor Ventures, Breakthrough Energy) favor KoBold, influencing the ecosystem by pioneering data-driven mining, attracting talent from tech/oil sectors, and enabling ethical scaling of critical minerals for the EV revolution.[4][7]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

KoBold is poised to expand mine development, with Mingomba advancing under a Zambian team and new lithium/cobalt initiatives broadening its portfolio toward becoming a leading critical metals supplier.[1][2][5] Trends like AI maturation in geoscience, escalating EV battery needs, and ESG pressures will accelerate its growth, potentially bridging the trillions in supply shortages through more discoveries.[4][7][8] Its influence may evolve from explorer to major producer, reshaping mining into a tech-scalable industry and powering the clean energy future it set out to enable.[1]

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

How much funding has KoBold Metals raised?

KoBold Metals has raised $930.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.

Who are KoBold Metals's investors?

KoBold Metals's investors include Andreessen Horowitz, Anicut Capital, Bond, HV Capital, Polychain Capital, RTP Global, AMIT GOGIA, Maria Raga, Sam Altman, Scott Belsky, FPV Fund, Kleiner Perkins.