Mint Innovation
Mint Innovation is a New Zealand-based cleantech company using proprietary biosorption and low-temperature hydrometallurgy to recover critical metals (copper, gold, silver, lithium, nickel, cobalt) from electronic waste. It serves electronics OEMs, EV manufacturers, defense agencies, and e-waste recyclers across Oceania, North America, and Europe.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersParnell, New Zealand
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Mint Innovation does
Mint Innovation is a New Zealand-founded (2016) cleantech company that has developed a proprietary, patented biosorption and low-temperature hydrometallurgical platform for selectively recovering critical and valuable metals from electronic waste streams. The technology uses naturally occurring biomass and smart chemistry—rather than high-temperature smelting—to extract copper, gold, silver, palladium, lithium, nickel, and cobalt from printed circuit boards and end-of-life lithium-ion batteries. A silver recovery module is in development as a bolt-on extension. The company commercializes through city-scale, modular processing facilities designed to fit into existing urban infrastructure; its first commercial-scale biorefinery in Sydney (opened August 2022) processes up to 3,000 tonnes of PCB waste annually, and a first U.S. facility in Longview, Texas is under construction for a targeted 2027 launch.
Mint generates revenue through two intertwined streams: (i) processing fees and feedstock payments from e-waste recyclers, aggregators, and ITADs supplying printed circuit boards and batteries, and (ii) the sale of recovered, traceable, certified circular metals to electronics and EV manufacturers via closed-loop supply agreements. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Its go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales to OEMs (HP Inc. for closed-loop copper, Jaguar Land Rover for UK EV battery recycling), strategic co-development partnerships with research institutions (WMG at University of Warwick), channel partnerships with feedstock suppliers (Echotech, Abilities Group), and active engagement with defense and government stakeholders (Congressional testimony, Gen. Neller as Strategic Advisor). Operations are anchored in New Zealand and Australia, with expansion underway in the United Kingdom (West Midlands battery project) and the United States (Longview, Texas).
Customer segments include electronics OEMs and manufacturers, automotive and EV manufacturers, defense and government agencies focused on critical mineral resilience, and e-waste recyclers/aggregators. The company has secured non-dilutive funding from the Australian Government (AU$4.2M Modern Manufacturing Initiative) and the UK Department for Business and Trade (£4.05M via Advanced Propulsion Centre UK), in addition to venture capital. An £8.1M UK consortium was formed in July 2025, and triple ISO 9001/14001/45001 certification was achieved in November 2023. A planned AU$80M ASX IPO was cancelled in November 2025 while the company reassesses capital raising options.
Mint Innovation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mint Innovation
- Legal name
- Mint Innovation Limited
- Website
- https://mint.bio
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Mint Innovation is a New Zealand-based cleantech company using proprietary biosorption and low-temperature hydrometallurgy to recover critical metals (copper, gold, silver, lithium, nickel, cobalt) from electronic waste. It serves electronics OEMs, EV manufacturers, defense agencies, and e-waste recyclers across Oceania, North America, and Europe.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Mint Innovation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Electronic Waste Metal Recovery
- NAICS
- Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Smelting and Refining (33141)
- SIC
- Secondary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3341), Primary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Precious & Specialty Metal Recovery (Smelting, Refining, Hydrometallurgy) (EUAIAIAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Lithium-ion Battery Recycling (Mechanical, Hydro, Direct Recycling) (EUAIAIAF), Hydrometallurgical Recycling & Refining (Leaching, Solvent Extraction, Precipitation) (EUAFACAD), Black Mass Production & Upgrading (Concentration, Purification) (EUAIAIAI), Battery Materials Refining & Re-Manufacturing Feedstocks (Li, Ni, Co, Mn, Graphite Salts) (EUAIAIAJ)
Keywords
Where Mint Innovation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Parnell
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices3 records
Markets served
Mint Innovation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- E-waste Metal Recovery Services: Processing electronic waste (printed circuit boards, lithium-ion batteries) to recover and refine critical and valuable metals for return to supply chains. Revenue generated through processing fees from recyclers and aggregators who supply feedstock, and from sale of recovered metals (copper, gold, silver, palladium) back to manufacturers.
- Closed-Loop Metal Supply: Direct supply of certified circular metals to electronics manufacturers like HP Inc., where recovered copper is returned directly into the manufacturer's supply chain for use in new products. Revenue from sale of traceable, certified recycled metals at premium pricing.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Mint Innovation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Mint Innovation operates biometallurgical processing facilities that use microbial biosorption and bioleaching to recover precious and critical metals — including copper, gold, silver, palladium, lithium, nickel and cobalt — from electronic waste and end-of-life lithium-ion batteries. The company processes printed circuit boards (PCBs) and battery feedstock through its proprietary modular biorefinery platform, refining the captured metals to commercial purity and supplying them as Circular Metals to manufacturers and government/defense customers.
Product overview
Mint Innovation offers a modular platform of low-carbon e-waste processing technologies that recover critical and valuable metals for circular supply chains. The core platform consists of PCB Processing Technology for recovering gold, copper, and other metals from printed circuit boards, supplemented by Lithium-ion Battery Recycling Technology for black mass refining. Silver Recovery Technology is being developed as an add-on module. All recovered materials are sold as Circular Metals products. The company deploys its technology through city-scale processing facilities that can be scaled to fit different structures and locations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- PCB Biometallurgical Processing Technology End-to-end biometallurgical recovery of copper, gold, silver, palladium and other metals from end-of-life and scrap printed circuit boards (PCBs), delivered as a contracted processing capability for electronics OEMs, e-waste recyclers and defense/government customers.
- Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Technology Bioresorption-based recovery of lithium, nickel and cobalt from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries, producing battery-grade metals for EV and battery manufacturers and supporting compliance with emerging battery-recycling regulations.
- Silver Recovery Technology Targeted silver recovery from e-waste streams using Mint's biometallurgical platform, sold as a modular processing capability layered onto its core PCB and battery recovery services.
- Circular Metals Mint's branded recycled-metals product line — refined copper, gold, silver, palladium and battery metals — sold back to manufacturers with traceability for ESG and recycled-content reporting.
- City-Scale Biorefinery Facilities Modular biorefinery installations deployable at city scale for distributed processing of e-waste and battery feedstock close to waste sources and end customers.
Quantifiable outcome
- 3,000 tonnes of PCB waste processed annually in Sydney facility, returning up to half a tonne of gold and up to 1,000 tonnes of copper to Australian economy
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Mint Innovation
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Mint Innovation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Mint Innovation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators11 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights8 records
Mint Innovation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Li-Cycle: Toronto-headquartered lithium-ion battery recycler using a hydrometallurgical 'spoke-and-hub' process to produce black mass. Direct competitor to Mint's battery recycling vertical across North America, Europe, and APAC.
- Cirba Solutions: North American specialty recycler with hydrometallurgical lithium-ion battery processing and e-waste/ITAD capabilities. Direct competitor in providing closed-loop critical mineral recovery services to OEMs and government.
- TES (Total Environment Solutions): Global IT asset disposition (ITAD) and e-waste recycler operating across Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Competes with Mint for e-waste feedstock from enterprise, OEM, and ITAD channels and offers downstream precious metal recovery.
Emerging players
- Duesenfeld: German low-temperature hydrometallurgical lithium-ion battery recycler with a strong focus on EU regulatory compliance and OEM partnerships. Direct technology peer to Mint's battery recycling platform.
- Attero: Indian e-waste and lithium-ion battery recycler using proprietary hydrometallurgical processes to recover lithium, cobalt, nickel, and copper. Comparable in approach and emerging-market footprint but focused on India rather than Mint's OECD markets.
- Aqua Metals: US hydrometallurgical battery recycler using a low-temperature, water-based process to recover lithium, nickel, cobalt and other metals. Comparable technology architecture to Mint's low-carbon approach for Li-ion.
Broad incumbents
- Umicore: Belgian materials technology group with a large battery materials and precious metals refining business. Competes with Mint in hydrometallurgical recycling of Ni/Co/Li and precious metal recovery from e-waste.
- Redwood Materials: US-based battery recycling and cathode-active-material producer founded by former Tesla CTO JB Straubel. Competes with Mint in domestic closed-loop battery materials supply for EVs and electronics.
- Glencore: Global mining and commodities major with significant copper, cobalt, nickel, and zinc smelting/refining operations and a growing battery recycling business. Competes with Mint on recovered base and battery metals volumes and global supply.
- Boliden: Swedish metals producer with integrated smelters recovering copper, zinc, lead, and precious metals from primary and secondary feedstocks, including electronic scrap. Comparable to Mint in metals refining from recycled streams.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Mint Innovation social profiles
Digital presenceMint Innovation compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
Mint Innovation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mint Innovation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Mint Innovation subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Mint Innovation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds13 records
Investors11 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mint Innovation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Mint Innovation
What does Mint Innovation do?
Mint Innovation operates biometallurgical processing facilities that use microbial biosorption and bioleaching to recover precious and critical metals — including copper, gold, silver, palladium, lithium, nickel and cobalt — from electronic waste and end-of-life lithium-ion batteries. The company processes printed circuit boards (PCBs) and battery feedstock through its proprietary modular biorefinery platform, refining the captured metals to commercial purity and supplying them as Circular Metals to manufacturers and government/defense customers.
Is Mint Innovation a public or private company?
Mint Innovation is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Mint Innovation founded?
Mint Innovation was founded in 2016. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Mint Innovation based?
Mint Innovation is headquartered in Parnell, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Mint Innovation make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. E-waste Metal Recovery Services are the primary driver. The others are closed-Loop Metal Supply.
Who are Mint Innovation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Li-Cycle, Cirba Solutions and TES (Total Environment Solutions). Emerging players are Duesenfeld, Attero and Aqua Metals. Broad incumbents are Umicore, Redwood Materials, Glencore and Boliden.
Does Mint Innovation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Mint Innovation.
What industry is Mint Innovation in?
Mint Innovation's product category is Electronic Waste Metal Recovery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAIAIAD, Precious & Specialty Metal Recovery (Smelting, Refining, Hydrometallurgy), with a secondary code of EUAIAIAF, Lithium-ion Battery Recycling (Mechanical, Hydro, Direct Recycling). Its NAICS code is 33141 and its SIC code is 3341.