Imagine a world where the minerals that power our phones, cars, and energy systems never truly run out, where every gram of resource is used, reused, and reborn in smarter ways. That’s the promise of mineral circularity: a future where waste becomes the past and innovation drives us closer to net zero.
Getting there isn’t simple. Traditional mining is costly and environmentally damaging, industries remain tied to outdated materials, and mountains of used EV batteries sit with no clear purpose. Turning these challenges into opportunities is exactly what three of our portfolio startups are doing. Beholder is transforming how critical minerals are explored through an AI-powered remote-sensing platform, Holy Technologies is pioneering autonomous production of sustainable, high-performance carbon fiber composites, and Rebaba is giving EV batteries a second life as scalable stationary energy storage.
We spoke with their CEOs, Andrii Sevriukov, Bosse Rothe, and Paula Runsten, to understand how these innovators are reshaping the future of mineral circularity, tackling different issues in the supply chain.
Exploring critical minerals – Beholder
Exploring the opportunities of critical minerals are vital for the clean energy transition, but traditional methods are expensive and environmentally harmful. This is the challenge that inspired Beholder. Instead of drilling deeper into the earth, they are diving into data by using AI to fuse geological and geophysical data into a single multidimensional data core, reducing the need for invasive drilling and enabling more precise, sustainable, and safer exploration. Andrii Sevryukov, CEO of Beholder explains it as a “holistic approach”, aiming to “provide a system which will risk critical raw materials in exploration to the level where the net zero ’20 and ’50 goals can be met.” Beholder also supports managing geological risks while attracting investments, with notable successes including gold mines in Tanzania and copper exploration in Indonesia, maintaining a clear differentiation from competitors through its AI-driven, non-invasive, and data-fusion methodology.
Sustainable materials replacing traditional methods – Holy Technologies
For decades, industries have relied on traditional materials that are heavy, resource-intensive, and difficult to recycle. But as pressure mounts to cut emissions and embrace circularity, there has been an increasing need for sustainable materials, as industries seek not only efficiency, but environmental responsibility and circularity. Advanced composites, bio-based materials, and recycled inputs offer lighter, durable, and recyclable alternatives, reducing emissions and resource use while supporting circular production. That’s where Holy Technologies comes in.
By combining advanced composites with AI-powered autonomous production, the company is transforming how lightweight components are made. “Our mission is to create vehicle parts that are lighter, more sustainable, and fully recyclable, without compromising performance.” explains CEO Bosse Rothe. Their approach not only reduces environmental impact but also helps manufacturers increase efficiency while moving away from costly, labor-intensive processes, and applying a customer-centric approach.
What makes Holy unique is its focus on designing for circularity from the very beginning. Instead of downcycling materials at the end of their life, Holy envisions true upcycling, components engineered to be recycled and reborn without losing quality. It’s a scalable, closed-loop system that combines ecological responsibility with strong commercial value.
Rothe also points to the broader transformation autonomy will bring. “A few years ago, what GPT could do was unimaginable. The same will happen in the physical world. Once we are autonomous, automated jobs will change. The amount of jobs will change, but we will need different kinds of jobs.” For Holy, automation is not just about efficiency, it’s about reshaping industries for a more sustainable and innovative future.
Closing the loop with circularity – Rebaba
All around the world, EV batteries are reaching the end of their life. No longer powerful enough to drive a car, but still holding enormous, unlocked potential. For Rebaba, this isn’t waste at all, but the foundation of a sustainable energy future.“We need to be smart with minerals and resources and get creative with what we have around us.” says CEO Paula Runsten. “There’s value in everything, as the saying goes “one man’s trash could be another man’s treasure.”
The idea for Rebaba was born during a trip to Indonesia, where Runsten and her team saw discarded bus batteries stacked with no clear purpose. Instead of treating them as scrap, they imagined something different: large-scale power banks that could bring electricity to remote communities. “We realized these batteries could be placed into areas where people need electricity, light, clean water, healthcare, and education, all without producing new batteries,” Runsten recalls.
By giving EV batteries a second life, Rebaba offers a solution that is both practical and transformative. Their repurposed systems are designed to last as long as, or even longer than, new ones, while remaining cost-efficient and scalable. In doing so, the company not only addresses the environmental burden of battery waste but also helps democratize access to clean, reliable energy.
For Runsten, the future lies in local, circular solutions. “Localization is taking place more and more, it’s becoming a standard go-to solution. There are so many ways to profit from the amazing resources we already have around us. For example, with batteries, we have them already just lying around and waiting for their destiny. If we can be smart and efficient on how to use them and actually profit from that, then we can just scale our impact.”
Key takeaways for the future of impact innovation
Beholder, Holy Technologies, and Rebaba show that mineral circularity is no longer just an idea but a reality in motion. From AI-driven exploration to recyclable composites and second-life batteries, each startup proves that waste can become a value and innovation can drive real impact.
Three themes stand out: consistency in building lasting solutions, automation as a driver of transformation, and localization to unlock the resources already around us.
The path to net zero is challenging, but these pioneers show that the future of minerals lies not in extraction, but in reinvention, closing the loop to build smarter, cleaner, and more resilient systems.
