Genomines, a biotech company pioneering biobased metal extraction, has raised over $45 million in a Series A funding round. This oversubscribed raise signals a shift in how the world will source critical metals—moving away from polluting mining toward sustainable, regenerative agriculture. The total funding now stands at $62 million, including seed funding and support from the French government.
Using genetic engineering, Genomines develops “hyperaccumulator” plants that absorb metals like nickel from the soil. After harvesting and processing, these plants produce battery-grade metals faster, cheaper, and with much lower emissions than traditional mining.
Featured in Nature Biotechnology and supported by industry leaders, Genomines has more than doubled nickel yields and biomass productivity. Their technology has already demonstrated proof of concept with automakers like Hyundai and Jaguar Land Rover, and collaborations are underway with refiners and battery manufacturers.
“Our goal is to create a new industry of plant-based metals,” said CEO Fabien Koutchekian. “Our process can turn low-grade land into valuable resources and deploy farms in just 1-2 years, compared to 12-17 years for traditional mines. It’s cleaner, more flexible, and cost-effective.”
Genomines offers many advantages over conventional mining. It converts non-productive land into economic assets, even in areas unsuitable for traditional mining as well as quickly deploying farms. Additionally, it reduces costs by 40-50% with biomass farming and lower equipment needs and scales modularly with smaller, capital-efficient assets, avoiding large-scale, capex-heavy mines.
Industry experts highlight the importance of this innovation. Michael Kearney from Engine Ventures explains, “Genomines can build a resilient nickel supply chain by genetically enhancing plants to mine nickel from underutilized soils at lower costs.”
By harnessing plant biotechnology for metal extraction, Genomines aims to reshape the supply of critical metals: reducing environmental impact and increasing supply chain resilience for the clean energy future.
