KoBold Metals is building a digital exploration platform to discover new sources of critical battery metals like lithium, nickel, and cobalt that are essential for the electric vehicle and renewable energy technologies. By aggregating large amounts of geological data and applying machine learning models, KoBold aims to predict the composition of the Earth's subsurface and identify mineral deposits with far greater speed and precision than conventional methods. KoBold doesn't just sell its software, but makes money by acquiring mineral rights to promising sites and partnering with established mining companies to explore and develop those resources.

KoBold's founding team brings together expertise across geoscience, data science, and the business of mining. CEO Kurt House and President Josh Goldman previously built an oil & gas data platform together, while Chief Exploration Officer Jeff Jurinak has decades of experience in mineral exploration. Their unique combination of skills positions KoBold to be a leading software company in the trillion-dollar critical metals space. By improving the efficiency and success rate of mineral exploration, KoBold can play a pivotal role in securing the raw materials needed for clean energy.

With over $200 million in funding, backing from investors like Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz, and partnerships with mining giants like BHP and Rio Tinto, KoBold is poised for rapid growth in the coming years. However, KoBold's technology is still unproven at scale, and the company will need to successfully navigate the complex worlds of mining, government relations, and commodities markets to fulfill its ambitious vision.