BHP says Singapore-based Atomionics’ quantum sensing technology could move the mining industry “towards a more precise and environmentally conscious approach to resource exploration and extraction”.
The resource major’s venture capital arm backed seven-year-old Atomionics’ US$12.7 million private equity funding round announced earlier this month. The start-up’s cold atom interferometry cools atoms to near absolute zero with lasers to measure tiny gravitational changes for subsurface 3D model generation and GPS-free positioning.
BHP says the technology could enable faster and more precise exploration of large areas of subsurface terrain, potentially reducing the cost, labour effort and time spent drilling into false positives.
BHP Ventures has more than 30 portfolio investments.
“Ventures is helping to shape the future of mining at BHP,” said vice-president Laurel Buckner.
“Through our strategic investments in game-changing technologies like Atomionics’ quantum sensors we’re unlocking new ways to discover and extract essential minerals more precisely and sustainably.”
Atomionics’ pre-series A round was led by Paspalis. As well as BHP Ventures it was backed by IQT, Wavemaker, VU Venture Partners, SG Growth Capital and Alex Turnbull.
“We’re taking a critical step towards scaling quantum-driven exploration at a country level,” said Atomionics CEO and co-founder, Sahil Tapiawala.
“The strategic capital from investors with an interest in both Australia and North America gives us a way to accelerate the deployment of our quantum gravity sensors. We will further use this capital to use quantum sensors to help find copper, lithium and other critical minerals, providing the mining and energy industries with an unprecedented ability to locate and assess resources sustainably.
“High-quality data is the foundation for AI-powered decision-making and our sensors have the potential to acquire the most detailed gravity datasets ever collected.”
Atomionics says its Gravio basketball-sized sensor works like a “virtual X-ray” for the Earth, using quantum gravimetry technology for high-resolution subsurface mapping “at speeds up to 10-times faster than conventional methods by combining ultra-sensitive quantum sensors with AI-driven interpretation”.
The company is expanding in Australia and North America.
