Five emerging technology companies join its Mining Tech Accelerator to develop smarter approaches to exploration, safety, processing, and mine operations
Perth, Australia, 7 October 2026 – Mining is entering a period where technology is becoming increasingly important to how minerals are discovered, processed, and produced. Rio Tinto and Founders Factory are supporting this shift by welcoming five new startups into their Mining Tech Accelerator, a program designed to help early-stage companies test new ideas against real challenges in the mining industry.
The latest group was selected from more than 500 applications and represents the fifth cohort of the accelerator. With these additions, the program’s global portfolio has grown to 29 companies. The four-month program gives participating startups access to Rio Tinto executives, technical specialists, mining operations, and potential pathways toward field trials and commercial deployment.
The five companies bring different technologies to the table. Cascade Geomatics, based in the U.S., is developing technology for geohazard monitoring. Its work could help mining and infrastructure operators better understand and respond to potential ground-related risks.
Fieldstone, another U.S. company, is exploring how biology can be used to measure metals more quickly. Determinant Materials is working on rapid microparticle refining that could allow critical metals to be processed closer to where they are first identified.
An Australia-based blueprint, powered by Imvelo, is developing an economic decision platform for mining. The technology is intended to help companies evaluate mining decisions using better information. NanduX, which operates across the U.S. and Chile, is focused on copper exploration through deep sensing technology.
Artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and deep science are among the technologies being explored across the new cohort. Rather than focusing only on laboratory development, the accelerator gives founders an opportunity to understand how their technologies perform against practical mining requirements.
The program has already produced several examples of this approach. Around two-thirds of companies in the accelerator’s portfolio have either trialed their technology with Rio Tinto, are currently conducting trials, or are working with the company under contract.
Previous participants have worked on applications ranging from explainable artificial intelligence and subsurface modelling to critical mineral recovery, mine rehabilitation, and environmental monitoring. These projects show how emerging technology can be applied across different stages of the mining value chain.
For the latest participants, the next four months will focus on technical development, industry validation, and potential pilot projects. The founders are also expected to travel to Perth to connect with Rio Tinto and the wider Western Australian innovation ecosystem.
The initiative reflects a broader change in the mining industry. Companies are looking beyond traditional equipment and processes and exploring how digital tools, automation, advanced sensing, artificial intelligence, and new processing methods can improve operations.
As demand for minerals continues to support industries such as renewable energy, electrification, and advanced manufacturing, finding more efficient ways to explore and process resources is becoming increasingly important. Rio Tinto’s accelerator provides a direct link between emerging technology companies and real mining environments, giving promising ideas an opportunity to move from development into practical use.
