Growing demand for critical minerals has increased both interest in and scrutiny of deep-sea mining of polymetallic nodules, which contain key metals like manganese, nickel, cobalt, and copper that are used in many battery technologies. As recent regulatory changes spur increased leasing activity, attention is growing around the ecological impact of commercial mining in the deep sea. Mithril is developing an alternative to conventional deep-sea mining approaches that is low-cost and low-impact: distributed robotic systems that gently sweep up nodules from the seafloor. Deployed from workboats rather than large drillships, this system reduces environmental impact while costing a fraction of conventional methods.
“Our goal is for Mithril’s technology to set a new industry standard that protects the deep-sea ecosystem for future generations.” Riva Gulassa, CTO & Co-Founder of Mithril Minerals.
Mithril was co-founded by Anna Scott, Ph.D., a climate scientist who previously co-founded Project Canary, an emissions monitoring company in the energy industry, and Riva Gulassa, a subsea engineer with over a decade of experience designing and deploying marine and deepwater systems.
“Whether the priority is electrification or reducing dependence on foreign supply chains, the US needs additional and affordable sources of critical minerals,” said Anna Scott, CEO & Co-Founder of Mithril Minerals. “Some of the most abundant known deposits sit on the seabed unmined because conventional collection costs billions in capital and cannot demonstrate a sufficiently low footprint to earn support. Mithril’s technology is designed to address both issues, opening a path to a metals supply that balances geopolitical, economic, and environmental constraints.”
“Exploring the Pacific and seeing previous deep-sea mining sites firsthand inspired me to proactively counter the impacts of traditional mining technology,” said Riva Gulassa, CTO & Co-Founder of Mithril Minerals. “Our goal is for Mithril’s technology to set a new industry standard that protects the deep-sea ecosystem for future generations.”
Mithril was selected to join Breakthrough Energy’s 2026 Fellows Program (BE Fellows), which supports early-stage innovators developing technologies with the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at gigaton scale. BE Fellows receive funding, tailored technical guidance, and access to Breakthrough Energy’s global network of mentors, experts, and partners. The program helps founders bridge the gap from lab to market and advance their solutions toward commercial readiness.
“At the earliest stages, proving the science behind an idea is only one part of the equation,” said Eric Toone, CTO of Breakthrough Energy. “You also have to understand the technoeconomics: what a technology will need to cost and how it will need to perform to compete, whether it can scale, and whether it is solving a meaningful market need. The BE Fellows program brings those technical and commercial questions together early, helping innovators turn their promising ideas into breakthrough solutions that address real-world problems and can grow into successful businesses.” With this support, Mithril will evaluate how a purpose-built robotic collection system could support a more precise, scalable approach to deep ocean mineral recovery. Specifically, Mithril will build and test a near-full-scale collector robot in the ocean, while continuing to work with leading scientists to perform third-party validation of its environmental claims.
