Hypermine closes seed funding round to maximise mineral recovery and minimise environmental impact
Hypermine combines laser lighting, hyperspectral sensors, and patented machine learning algorithms to detect minerals in real time with high precision from the earliest stages of the mining process.
Hypermine, a spin-off from VTT, has announced the successful closure of a seed funding round with private investments from Stephen Industries and Sage Enterprises, alongside an intellectual property contribution from VTT. The funds will be used to strengthen the team, consolidate its customer base, expand into new markets, and drive profitable growth.
Hypermine is led by Markku Makkonen (CEO & Co-founder), Mikhail Mekhrengin (CTO & Co-founder), and Andrei Rupasov (CPO & Co-founder).
As the demand for critical minerals—such as copper, cobalt, and lithium—continues to rise due to the global shift toward clean energy (including electric vehicles and battery storage), the need for innovative mining technologies is becoming more urgent. This growing scarcity is influencing geopolitical strategies and bringing renewed attention to the role of mining technology.
Rather than relying solely on increased exploration, the industry is turning to innovation in processing and extraction methods to bridge the widening gap between supply and demand.
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"We want to make mining more efficient, which is key for mining companies to extract more minerals at lower costs, while also minimizing environmental impact and reducing the use of water, acids, and energy. We’ve already proven our technology in multiple different environments and have vast market potential (...)", said Markku Makkonen, CEO of Hypermine.
One example can be seen in Chile, where the average copper ore grade has dropped by 30% over the past 15 years. The lower the ore grade—that is, the less mineral content it contains—the more material must be extracted. This leads to higher waste volumes, increased energy and water consumption, lower efficiency due to declining recovery rates, and ultimately, higher costs.
A breakthrough with Hypermine’s technology
Hypermine combines laser lighting, hyperspectral sensors, and patented machine learning algorithms to detect minerals in real time with high precision from the earliest stages of the mining process.
- It enables mineral detection at truckload resolution (100-400 tons), compared to traditional 3,000-10,000-ton blocks—improving precision up to 100 times.
- It increases resource recovery by 3%-10%, reduces energy usage by 10%, and cuts water and acid consumption by 15%.
"Currently, decision-making is based on inaccurate 3D block models that represent large sections of the mine, covering between 3,000 and 10,000 tonnes of material. Hypermine enables decision-making at truck load resolution, approximately 100 to 400 tonnes, making ore grade identification hundred times more accurate," elaborates Mikhail Mekhrengin, CTO of Hypermine.
Field testing and global adoption
Hypermine has already validated its technology with a leading mining company and is currently running pilot projects in the UK, South Africa, Brazil, and Canada. Use cases include orebody monitoring, truck loading, and ore transport optimization.
"In the same way that sonar allowed navies to see enemy submarines, Hypermine’s laser-based hyperspectral sensors allow mining companies to see the minerals in their orebodies in real time, improving decision-making accuracy to ensure that valuable ore gets processed while waste rock goes to the dump. This means the future of mining will be significantly more sustainable and more profitable", said Jake Greenberg, Managing Director at Sage Enterprises.
"We pioneer cutting-edge technology to support mining providers in their most critical operations - from the excavation to ore pre-processing. Combining innovative techniques, precision engineering, and industry-leading expertise, we deliver reliable, high-performance solutions designed to perform with confidence and safety, even under the toughest mining conditions", says Andrei Rupasov, CPO of Hypermine.
With this technology, Hypermine aims to meet society’s growing material needs while reducing costs and minimizing environmental impact.
With information: VTT