KoBold Metals

AI-powered critical mineral exploration — copper, cobalt, nickel, lithium

Energy / Materials 📍 Berkeley, CA Founded 2018

Current Valuation

$3.0B

as of 2025-Q1

UNICORN

KoBold Metals applies machine learning, geosciences, and data fusion to identify new deposits of the critical minerals — copper, cobalt, nickel, lithium — needed for the energy transition. Founded in 2018 by Kurt House (CEO), Jenny Castro, Jeff Jurinak, and Josh Goldman, the company has raised nearly $1B across multiple rounds, backed by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, BHP Ventures, Bill Gates, and Jeff Bezos. A $537M Series C in January 2025 — co-led by Durable Capital Partners and a pair of T. Rowe Price funds — pushed the post-money valuation to $2.96B. KoBold's flagship Zambian copper discovery is among the largest in decades.

Company Profile

CEO

Kurt House

Founded

2018

Berkeley, CA

Employees

~200

Total Raised

$1.0B

Growth

Series C valuation step-up to ~$3B in Jan 2025; live discoveries in Zambia (copper)

Last Round

Series C — $537M (Jan 2025) · Lead: Durable Capital Partners / T. Rowe Price

IPO Status

private

Founders & Key People

Kurt HouseJenny CastroJeff JurinakJosh Goldman

Investors

Andreessen Horowitz Growth · BOND Capital · Breakthrough Energy Ventures · Bill Gates · Jeff Bezos · BHP Ventures · Equinor · Mitsubishi · Standard Investments · Earthshot Ventures · T. Rowe Price · Durable Capital Partners · WCM Investment Management · StepStone

Products

TerraScope AI exploration platform
Mineral deposit datasets

Competitors

Traditional miners (BHP, Rio Tinto, Glencore) · Cosmic Mining · Earth AI

EnergyCritical MineralsAIClimateBill Gates / Bezos backed