Unearthed helps to deliver Rio Tinto’s 2025 The Pitch Program
Unearthed worked with Rio Tinto to support the delivery of The Pitch , Rio Tinto’s internal employee innovation program designed
Read articleHosted by Unearthed in collaboration with Founders Factory, our session “Funding the Future of Mining Tech” brought together a diverse lineup of mining leaders, venture capitalists, and innovators at IMARC 2025.
The result? A deep dive into how venture, corporate investment, and new builder models are accelerating the next wave of mining technologies.
“One of the three panels focused on the different venture capital models. Discussions were had between leaders at BHP Ventures, Orion Industrial Ventures and Founders Factory.”
Venture Capital to alternative funding pathways were discussed, with perspectives from both sides of the equation. One founder noted, “We spoke with more than 120 venture capital firms during our Series A raise. Many are eager to move into mining and critical minerals, but few yet have the technical depth to confidently invest in this sector.” This highlights the complex journey innovators must address in finding and collaborating with the best funding available in their scaling journey.
The session also explored how miners of all sizes can influence capital flow, accelerate deep-tech development, and unlock new forms of collaboration. Commentary from BHP Ventures highlighted how major miners are shaping the investment landscape, while discussions framed how mid-tier operators could collaborate to access capital and innovation without establishing their own corporate venture arms.
Another panel member shared their perspective: “Our focus is on building better frameworks for how we innovate and validate technologies. Mid-tier miners don’t have spare capital to disperse, so we need new ways to validate and de-risk technologies collectively. By engaging directly with startups during the demonstration phase, we can define the right metrics, technical requirements, and business cases from the start. This process typically takes around 12 months, but our goal is to cut that to under six.”
“The event included a diverse range of perspectives from across the mining technology and innovation landscape”
Speakers included a world-class lineup of industry and venture leaders:
- Holly Bridgwater Director - Unearthed
- Jan Haak Former Vice President, First Mode, and Former Managing Director, Switch Technologies
- Katie Hulmes Head of Innovation Ecosystem - BHP Innovation
- Liz Dennett, Ph.D. Founder & CEO - Endolith
- Mariel Renteria Vice President, Innovation Portfolio & Performance - Eramet
- Mark Frayman Managing Partner - Orion Industrial Ventures
- Melissa Bergin Head of Portfolio Strategy - BHP Ventures
- Dr Michelle Carey Chief Digital and Orebody Knowledge Officer - IMDEX
- Tamryn Barker Sector Director, Mining & Nature - Founders Factory
- Zane Prickett Director - CORE Innovation Hub
Each panel brought unique perspectives from across the mining ecosystem, exploring how the next wave of innovation will be financed, scaled, and brought to market.
These conversations are critical as the sector faces increasing pressure to transition to lower-impact, higher-efficiency operations. Aligning investment models with real operational challenges, from exploration to closure, requires open, cross-sector dialogue. By bringing together venture capitalists, corporate innovation leads, and founders, discussions like this help bridge the gap between capital, capability, and deployment. They also shine a light on areas that need strategic focus, and create shared momentum to tackle them collaboratively.
If you’re exploring new investment pathways or want to connect with the innovators driving this change, get in touch with Holly Bridgwater or Jake Harris at Unearthed.
