The company employs protein engineering to extract rare earth elements from unconventional feedstock.
Alta Resource Technologies, a Colorado-based startup focused on critical mineral extraction, is developing a method to extract rare earth elements using engineered proteins. This technology selectively binds to and extracts minerals from unconventional feedstocks such as low-grade ores, mining byproducts, waste streams, and end-of-life electronics. With this method, the company aims to offer a more sustainable alternative to traditional mining while strengthening domestic supply chains for rare earth elements. In the future, the company also aims to extend its technology to other critical minerals. With investor funding, Alta plans to grow its technical team and launch its first commercial pilot projects.
In its latest funding round, Alta also secured support from In-Q-Tel (IQT), the strategic investment arm of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), highlighting the growing strategic importance that the U.S. government places on securing domestic critical mineral resources: In March 2025, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order aimed at boosting domestic mineral mining and processing (we reported).
Trump later also ordered an investigation into the import reliance of all 50 minerals classified as critical by the U.S. Geological Survey. While some supply chains are diversified, China still dominates many, including rare earth elements. Beijing’s recent export controls on seven of them further underscore the global dependency on the People’s Republic for these key resources.
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