Critical metals, the blind spot of the energy transition
The electrification of uses, the rise in power of data centers and the industrialization of artificial intelligence are based on a growing demand for raw materials. Lithium, copper, nickel: these resources constitute the invisible infrastructure of the transition.
However, this infrastructure remains fragile, with mining exploration slow, costly and uncertain. The complete cycle, from the first geological data to the discovery of a exploitable deposit, generally extends over several years, with a limited success rate. In this context, the ability to identify new deposits more quickly becomes a strategic issue.
Recent investments in artificial intelligence, energy and quantum show that venture capital is repositioning itself in sectors with high industrial intensity, where value is now played out upstream of production chains.
An AI that no longer just predicts, but explores
Founded in 2024 in Paris by Aymeric Préveral-Etcheverry, mining engineer and former CEO of Fieldbox, and Simon Leclair, the French startup Lithosquare is developing a platform combining artificial intelligence, geological expertise and field data. The company already collaborates with exploration players in Europe, the United States, Africa and Latin America.
Lithosquare offers a distinct approach to AI applied to geology. Where some tools are limited to the statistical analysis of geophysical data, the startup claims a combination of artificial intelligence models and scientific understanding of mineral formation processes.
The goal is not just to identify correlations, but to model complex geological systems to guide exploration decisions. This approach would make it possible to drastically reduce analysis times, from several months to a few days, while improving the success rate.
The positioning is part of a broader evolution of AI: that of a technology which leaves generic uses to anchor itself in highly constrained business areas. In mining exploration, this transformation is still emerging, but the first applications show significant potential, particularly in Africa where the use of AI in prospecting is beginning to take shape.
A technological response to a geopolitical constraint
Beyond operational performance, Lithosquare’s proposal is part of a logic of sovereignty. Access to critical metals is now concentrated in the hands of a limited number of countries, exposing Western supply chains to increasing geopolitical risks.
In this context, accelerating the discovery of new deposits becomes a strategic lever to diversify sources of supply and reduce dependencies. Public policies, in Europe as in North America, are converging towards this objective, reinforcing the relevance of solutions capable of industrializing exploration.
AI appears here as a tool for acceleration, but also as an instrument for rebalancing.
Fundraising aligned with new capital priorities
The raising of 22 million euros in seed, led by World Fund and Kindred Capital, with the participation of Daphni, Omnes Capital and OVNI Capital, is part of this dynamic. It confirms the growing interest of investors for projects with high scientific and industrial intensity, positioned on systemic issues.
This financing, often more significant from the first rounds, reflects an evolution of venture capital. Less oriented towards rapid cycles and purely software models, many investors are turning to technological infrastructures capable of responding to physical and regulatory constraints.
