Press Release: March 31, 2026
Supra Extends Pre-Seed Funding Round with Rio Tinto as Strategic Investor
March 31, 2026 – Austin, TX
Today, Supra Elemental Recovery, Inc. (“Supra”) announces a strategic investment from Rio Tinto and Founders Factory through their mining technology accelerator. The investment, structured as a combination of cash and in-kind services, will enable Supra to build and commercialize its modular critical mineral recovery technology with insight and support from Rio Tinto.
Supra was selected as one of six startups globally from more than 500 applicants. The cohort is focused on advancing exploration and processing technologies to meet growing demand for materials such as copper, lithium, and critical minerals. Supra joins Foresight Spatial Labs (Ottawa, Canada), Chemshift (Calgary, Canada), Material Difference (Cambridge, UK), Voluna (Boston, U.S.), and Watergenics (Berlin, Germany).
Emily Hilton, General Manager of Innovation at Rio Tinto, said: “Startups have an important role to play in solving some of mining’s toughest challenges. Through our partnership with Founders Factory, we are connecting exceptional founders with Rio Tinto’s operational and technical expertise to help turn promising ideas into technologies that could improve exploration, processing, and critical mineral recovery. This cohort reflects the quality of innovation emerging globally, and we’re excited about the potential to accelerate these solutions toward real-world deployment.”
Jordan Sessler, co-founder and COO of Supra, said: “We look forward to working closely with Rio Tinto and leveraging the firm’s global expertise to accelerate our path to commercial deployment. We look forward to recovering high-purity elements from complex streams, including ore, tailings, and byproducts.”
Rio Tinto and Founders Factory join Supra’s existing pre-seed investors, including Crucible Capital, Climate Capital, Portmanteau Ventures, and UT Seed Fund. The funding will support continued technology development and preparation for commercial pilots.
About Supra Elemental Recovery
Supra Elemental Recovery, Inc. is a U.S.-based technology company building the future of critical minerals recovery and refining. Its modular, high-selectivity, and non-toxic systems turn overlooked U.S. waste streams into secure domestic supply of high-value elements. Learn more at www.getsupra.com.
About Rio Tinto
Rio Tinto is a leading global mining and materials company. It operates in 34 countries and produces iron ore, copper, aluminium and lithium – the building blocks of a cleaner, smarter future. www.riotinto.com
About Founders Factory
Founders Factory builds and funds startups together with exceptional entrepreneurs and the world’s leading companies. Created by IPO-exited founders and operating globally from London, New York, Berlin, Milan, Perth and Singapore, Founders Factory invests in the world’s most promising pre-Series A founders and helps them commercialise through securing first pilots and supercharging go-to-market strategies. With a focus on health, deeptech, industrial transformation and fintech, Founders Factory has supported startups to scale and disrupt markets, enabling over 500 enterprise pilots for its portfolio. Since 2015, Founders Factory has built and funded 450+ technology companies. www.foundersfactory.com
Media Contact
Ariel Marantz
supra@antennagroup.com