Phoenix Tailings
Phoenix Tailings is a privately held rare earth metals producer founded in 2019 that uses proprietary emissions-free electrochemical refining and selective halogenation chemistry to convert mining waste and domestic feedstocks into finished rare earth metals and alloys, supplying U.S. defense, automotive, and medical device customers from vertically integrated facilities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersWoburn, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Phoenix Tailings does
Phoenix Tailings is a privately held, MIT alumni-founded rare earth metals production company established in 2019 that operates a vertically integrated refining platform converting mining waste (tailings) and unconventional domestic feedstocks into finished rare earth oxides, metals, and alloys. The company is built on a three-pillar technology architecture: (1) advanced chemistry comprising proprietary stabilized chemistries, selective halogenation, and mixed halide molten salt reduction for metallization and separation; (2) industrial hardware in the form of modular metallization cells and refining equipment; and (3) digital infrastructure layered through the April 2026 acquisition of Machinery Partner, an AI/automation platform previously deployed across hundreds of U.S. industrial sites and projected to deliver a 30% improvement in minerals processing efficiency. Operationally, the company runs an R&D site in Woburn, MA; a commercial refining facility in Burlington, MA opened in 2023; and a metallization facility in Exeter, NH opened October 2025 that produces 200 tons per year of light and heavy rare earth metals with zero reliance on Chinese inputs, equipment, or technology, and is designed to scale beyond 1,000 tons per year.
The company's commercial model is anchored in direct enterprise sales of finished rare earth metals (neodymium-praseodymium, dysprosium, terbium, samarium, yttrium, gadolinium, germanium, and gallium) and alloys to customers in U.S. defense, automotive, and medical device sectors, with signed supply contracts reported at over $100 million. Distribution is augmented by a preferred trading partnership with Traxys North America covering Samarium, Yttrium, Dysprosium, and Terbium, and by strategic offtake pathways tied to government financing. Revenue mechanics are hardware-sale dominant with multi-year contract pricing that is not publicly disclosed, supplemented by long-term U.S. government debt financing (a conditional $500 million Office of Strategic Capital loan) and federal grants (DOE $66 million, ARPA-E $1.6 million) that together back approximately $1 billion in committed or pending capital supporting the planned Freedom Facility in Burlington, MA targeted for 2028 operations.
Strategically, Phoenix Tailings positions itself as a cornerstone of U.S. critical mineral reindustrialization, directly addressing the midstream oxide-to-metal conversion bottleneck and complying with the January 2027 DFARS deadline eliminating Chinese-origin rare earth magnets in covered defense systems. The customer base includes named partners such as Advanced Magnet Lab (under a $2 million two-year Defense Logistics Agency contract) and a roster of strategic investors comprising BMW i Ventures, Yamaha Motor Ventures, Sumitomo Corporation (via Presidio Ventures), Eni Next, Geodesic Alliance Fund, Traxys, IQT, Builders Vision, AFWERX, and DARPA, alongside research collaboration with MIT and the University of Minnesota.
Phoenix Tailings firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Phoenix Tailings
- Legal name
- Phoenix Tailings, Inc.
- Website
- https://www.phoenixtailings.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Phoenix Tailings is a privately held rare earth metals producer founded in 2019 that uses proprietary emissions-free electrochemical refining and selective halogenation chemistry to convert mining waste and domestic feedstocks into finished rare earth metals and alloys, supplying U.S. defense, automotive, and medical device customers from vertically integrated facilities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Phoenix Tailings industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Rare Earth Metals Production
- NAICS
- Secondary Smelting, Refining, and Alloying of Nonferrous Metal (except Copper and Aluminum) (331492)
- SIC
- Secondary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3341)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Metals Recycling & Processing (Ferrous/Non-Ferrous) (BPALADAF)
Keywords
Where Phoenix Tailings is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Woburn
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Phoenix Tailings business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations
Revenue model
- Sale of finished rare earth metals and alloys: Primary revenue stream from direct sale of finished rare earth metals (neodymium-praseodymium, dysprosium, terbium, samarium, yttrium, gadolinium, germanium, gallium and others) and alloys (e.g., dysprosium-iron alloy) to U.S. and allied customers in automotive, defense, and medical device sectors. Supply contracts reportedly exceed $100 million with undisclosed buyers.
- Offtake arrangements and trading partnerships: Strategic offtake arrangements with partners such as Traxys (preferred trading partner) for rare earth metals including Samarium, Yttrium, Dysprosium, and Terbium, providing feedstock sourcing and trading revenue.
- Long-term government debt financing for capacity buildout: Long-term debt financing from the U.S. Department of War's Office of Strategic Capital ($500M conditional loan) for construction of the Freedom Facility, paired with additional government grants (DOE, ARPA-E) supporting technology development and commercialization.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Quote-based / contract pricing for rare earth metals and offtake arrangements |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Phoenix Tailings product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Phoenix Tailings produces finished rare earth metals (neodymium-praseodymium, dysprosium, terbium, samarium, yttrium, gadolinium, germanium, gallium) and alloys (e.g., dysprosium-iron alloy) by refining mining waste tailings and unconventional feedstocks through a three-pillar platform combining proprietary stabilized chemistries, industrial hardware, and AI-driven digital infrastructure. The company sells these metals directly to enterprise customers in the U.S. and allied nations across automotive, defense, and medical device sectors.
Product overview
Phoenix Tailings operates a vertically-integrated rare earth and critical minerals manufacturing platform built on three core technology pillars: advanced chemistry (proprietary stabilized chemistries, selective halogenation, and mixed halide molten salt reduction for metallization and separation), industrial hardware (modular metallization cells and refining equipment), and digital infrastructure (the Machinery Partner AI platform for automation, predictive maintenance, and process optimization). Its operational product portfolio comprises the Burlington, MA commercial production facility (opened 2023), the Exeter, NH rare earth metallization facility (opened October 2025 with 200 tons/year initial capacity, scalable to over 1,000 tons/year), the Woburn, MA R&D facility, and the Freedom Facility — a fully integrated domestic rare earth separation and metallization platform under construction in Burlington, MA with initial operations targeted for 2028. Supporting technologies include the proprietary Separation Technology platform, the Proprietary Metallization Technology (stabilized chemistries), and the CO2 GONE ligand-based separation process for extracting critical minerals from wastewater and mine tailings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Freedom Facility: Planned fully integrated domestic rare earth separation and metallization platform to be constructed in Burlington, Massachusetts, anchoring an approximately $1 billion initiative with U.S. Department of War's Office of Strategic Capital; initial operations targeted for 2028.
Products and services
- Rare Earth Metals (NdPr, Dysprosium, Terbium, Samarium, Yttrium, Gadolinium, Germanium, Gallium) Finished rare earth metals sold to enterprise customers in the automotive, defense, and medical device sectors, produced from mining waste tailings and unconventional feedstocks via proprietary zero-waste electrochemical refining. Initial commercial output includes neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr), with planned expansion to dysprosium, terbium, samarium, yttrium, gadolinium, germanium, and gallium.
- Dysprosium-Iron Alloy (DyFe) Rare earth alloy produced via Phoenix Tailings' proprietary stabilized chemistry platform, used in high-performance permanent magnets for defense and commercial applications. Launched as one of the initial commercial products alongside NdPr at the Exeter, NH metallization facility.
Quantifiable outcome
- Targets capacity expansion from approximately 200 to over 1,000 metric tons per year at Exeter, NH, with stated goal of supplying the entire U.S. defense industrial base.
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Phoenix Tailings
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Phoenix Tailings technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
AI capability8 records
Feature6 records
Phoenix Tailings partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core research partner, strategic core, minor and strategic core (acquired entity).
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)core research partnerMIT is a research partner on Phoenix Tailings' $147.8M DOE Rare Earth Demonstration Facility Program project, helping develop and deploy next-generation heavy rare-earth material recovery capabilities. Phoenix Tailings was MIT alumni-founded.
- University of Minnesotacore research partnerUniversity of Minnesota is a research partner on Phoenix Tailings' $147.8M DOE Rare Earth Demonstration Facility Program project to develop and deploy next-generation heavy rare-earth material recovery capabilities.
- Advanced Magnet Lab (AML)strategic corePhoenix Tailings is a strategic supplier/collaborator with AML on a $2M two-year U.S. Defense Logistics Agency contract to qualify domestic high-grade sintered NdFeB permanent magnets for defense applications such as missiles, smart bombs, UAVs, and aircraft, establishing a domestic rare-earth feedstock pathway.
- Ionic Rare Earths LimitedminorIonic Rare Earths Limited is a strategic collaborator with AML and Phoenix Tailings to establish a domestic rare-earth feedstock pathway for DLA-qualified sintered NdFeB magnets for defense applications.
- MomentumminorMomentum is a strategic collaborator with AML and Phoenix Tailings to establish a domestic rare-earth feedstock pathway for DLA-qualified sintered NdFeB magnets for defense applications.
- Machinery Partnerstrategic core (acquired entity)Phoenix Tailings acquired Boston-based industrial technology company Machinery Partner to expand AI, automation, and digital manufacturing infrastructure capabilities. Machinery Partner's AI platform, already deployed across hundreds of U.S. industrial sites, will be integrated into Phoenix's refining operations—creating a three-pillar technology platform (chemistry + industrial hardware + digital systems) targeting a 30% improvement in processing efficiency. CEO Clement Cazalot transitions to Phoenix Tailings Chief Operating Officer.
- Traxys North America LLCstrategic coreTraxys joined Phoenix Tailings' $40.2M Series B-3 round as a strategic partner and is named as the preferred trading partner for rare-earth metals including Samarium, Yttrium, Dysprosium, and Terbium, providing feedstock sourcing, offtake arrangements, and strategic assistance to strengthen the U.S. supply chain for critical materials used in defense, energy, automotive, AI, robotics, and medical technology.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Phoenix Tailings competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Lynas Rare Earths: Largest non-Chinese rare earth producer globally, operating Mt Weld in Australia and a separation plant in Malaysia. Comparable as the established Western benchmark for large-scale rare earth refining that Phoenix is seeking to challenge.
- Iluka Resources: Australian critical minerals producer developing a fully integrated rare earth refinery at Eneabba. Comparable to Phoenix's Freedom Facility as a Western rare earth separation/metallization buildout at scale.
- Neo Performance Materials: Global rare earth and rare metal materials supplier with operations in China, Europe, and North America. Overlaps with Phoenix in rare earth metals and alloys for automotive, defense, and electronics end markets.
- Solvay (Rare Earths business): European chemical company with a long-established rare earth separation and refining business serving automotive and electronics markets. Represents an incumbent Western competitor that Phoenix must displace for share.
Direct peers
- Energy Fuels: U.S. uranium and rare earth processor operating the White Mesa Mill in Utah, producing separated rare earth oxides. Competes with Phoenix for U.S. domestic processing of rare earths and critical minerals.
- MP Materials: Largest U.S. rare earth mining and processing company, operating Mountain Pass in California. Like Phoenix, MP is rebuilding a domestic mine-to-magnet supply chain for NdPr and is a direct competitor for U.S. and allied rare earth demand.
- USA Rare Earth: U.S.-based rare earth processor developing domestic separation and magnet manufacturing capacity. Overlaps with Phoenix on the goal of building a non-Chinese rare earth midstream in the U.S.
- Ionic Rare Earths: Australia- and UK-listed rare earth company developing separation and recycling operations. Phoenix Tailings is already a strategic collaborator with Ionic Rare Earths on the AML/Defense Logistics Agency magnet supply chain.
Emerging players
- Cyclic Materials: Canada-based rare earth recycling company using hydrometallurgy to recover rare earths from end-of-life magnets and electronics. Comparable to Phoenix as an emerging non-Chinese feedstock-to-metal pathway.
- HyProMag: UK-based rare earth magnet recycler developing short-loop recycled NdFeB feedstock. Shares Phoenix's thesis of building circular, China-independent rare earth supply chains for magnet applications.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Phoenix Tailings social profiles
Digital presencePhoenix Tailings compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Phoenix Tailings financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Phoenix Tailings leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Phoenix Tailings subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Phoenix Tailings funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds16 records
Investors31 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Phoenix Tailings M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Phoenix Tailings
What does Phoenix Tailings do?
Phoenix Tailings produces finished rare earth metals (neodymium-praseodymium, dysprosium, terbium, samarium, yttrium, gadolinium, germanium, gallium) and alloys (e.g., dysprosium-iron alloy) by refining mining waste tailings and unconventional feedstocks through a three-pillar platform combining proprietary stabilized chemistries, industrial hardware, and AI-driven digital infrastructure. The company sells these metals directly to enterprise customers in the U.S. and allied nations across automotive, defense, and medical device sectors.
Is Phoenix Tailings a public or private company?
Phoenix Tailings is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Phoenix Tailings founded?
Phoenix Tailings was founded in 2019. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Phoenix Tailings based?
Phoenix Tailings is headquartered in Woburn, United States, in the North America region.
How does Phoenix Tailings make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Sale of finished rare earth metals and alloys are the primary driver. The others are offtake arrangements and trading partnerships and long-term government debt financing for capacity buildout.
Who are Phoenix Tailings's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Lynas Rare Earths, Iluka Resources, Neo Performance Materials and Solvay (Rare Earths business). Direct peers are Energy Fuels, MP Materials, USA Rare Earth and Ionic Rare Earths. Emerging players are Cyclic Materials and HyProMag.
Does Phoenix Tailings have an API?
No public API is recorded for Phoenix Tailings.
What industry is Phoenix Tailings in?
Phoenix Tailings's product category is Rare Earth Metals Production. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPALADAF, Metals Recycling & Processing (Ferrous/Non-Ferrous). Its NAICS code is 331492 and its SIC code is 3341.