Thunderstone
Thunderstone is a private climate technology company that uses high-voltage electrical pulse ("underground lightning") technology to extract metals from ore bodies in-situ without excavation, selling services and licensing to mine operators, exploration companies, and clean-tech partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersAlbuquerque, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Thunderstone does
Thunderstone is a privately-held climate technology company developing high-voltage electrical pulse ("underground lightning") technology to enable in-situ metal extraction from ore bodies without excavation, drilling, blasting, or hauling. The core method applies controlled electrical pulses to stimulate ore and liberate metals underground while managing fluid permeability to direct leaching flows toward otherwise inaccessible zones. The company claims operational advantages versus conventional mining including 0% excavation required, up to 60% lower extraction costs, deployability in under 12 months, up to 90% less environmental disturbance, up to 90% lower carbon output, and 70% less water usage, and frames its addressable market as $250B in untapped global ore.
The company's commercial offering is structured around three pathways: (1) in-situ metal recovery for below-grade ore, small deposits, or unlisted assets; (2) services to existing mines that improve permeability in stranded assets, legacy waste, and heap leach systems; and (3) licensing and joint ventures for adjacent clean-tech applications including carbon mineralization, geothermal energy, and hydrogen production. Revenue mechanics rely on quote-based enterprise engagement, licensing/royalty arrangements, and professional services to mining operators. The go-to-motion is direct enterprise sales targeting mine operators, exploration companies, and clean-tech investors, supported by content marketing (website, Substack newsletter "Beneath the Surface"), and LinkedIn presence. No public pricing, no published revenue, and no named customer logos are disclosed.
Thunderstone was spun out of Deep Science Ventures (DSV) and is backed by Roadrunner, Dangerous Ventures, Founders Factory, and Rio Tinto as a strategic investor. The team is small (three explicitly identified members — Founder/CEO Eric Wasson-Burns, Pulsed Power Engineer/Head of Engineering Andrew Alexander, and Mechanical Engineering Technician Ash Abusafieh) and is actively hiring. The company is described as San Francisco-based in its own materials, with a Delaware corporate registration at 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, while third-party firmographics list Albuquerque as the city, indicating either relocation or data inconsistency that is unresolved in the available sources.
Thunderstone firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Thunderstone
- Legal name
- Thunderstone Inc.
- Website
- https://thunderstone.rocks
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Thunderstone is a private climate technology company that uses high-voltage electrical pulse ("underground lightning") technology to extract metals from ore bodies in-situ without excavation, selling services and licensing to mine operators, exploration companies, and clean-tech partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Thunderstone industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mining Technology Services
- NAICS
- Support Activities for Metal Mining (213114), Copper, Nickel, Lead, and Zinc Mining (212230), Metal Ore Mining (2122)
- SIC
- Mining Machinery & Equip (No Oil & Gas Field Mach & Equip) (3532), Metal Mining (1000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Blasting & Explosives Services (Drill-and-Blast, Explosives Supply, Shot Services) (IMAKAKAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Copper Tailings, Waste & Water Management (IMAKADAL)
Keywords
Where Thunderstone is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Albuquerque
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Thunderstone business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Licensing and Joint Ventures: Thunderstone offers its conductivity technology through licensing or joint venture arrangements. The modular, site-responsive system can be deployed across different applications including clean-tech fields.
- Service to Existing Mines: Thunderstone provides services to existing mines to improve subsurface permeability and direct leaching flows to inaccessible ore zones. Delivers fluids where needed with minimal new infrastructure.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom enterprise engagement - quote-based |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Thunderstone product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Thunderstone develops and deploys a proprietary high-voltage electrical pulse ("underground lightning") technology that enables in-situ metal recovery from below-grade ore bodies without excavation, drilling, blasting, or hauling. The company offers three pathways: (1) in-situ metal recovery for extracting metals from below-grade ore, small deposits, or unlisted assets; (2) services to existing mines to improve subsurface permeability and direct leaching flows in stranded assets, legacy waste, and heap leach systems; and (3) licensing or joint ventures extending the conductivity technology to clean-tech fields such as carbon mineralization, geothermal energy, and hydrogen production.
Product overview
Thunderstone offers a suite of underground lightning-based metal extraction services built around its proprietary high-voltage electrical pulse technology. The core offerings consist of three pathways: (1) In-Situ Metal Recovery for extracting metals from below-grade ore without excavation, (2) Service to Existing Mines for improving permeability in legacy operations, and (3) Licensing and Joint Ventures for applying the technology to clean-tech applications like carbon mineralization, geothermal energy, and hydrogen production. The technology uses electrical pulses to stimulate ore bodies and facilitate underground metal extraction, bypassing conventional drilling, blasting, and hauling.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- In-Situ Metal Recovery Enables in-situ extraction of metals from below-grade ore, small deposits, or unlisted assets using targeted conductivity stimulation, recovering metals without excavation, surface disruption, or waste and with up to 90% lower carbon output than conventional mining. Targeted at mine operators and exploration companies.
- Service to Existing Mines Helps existing mines improve subsurface permeability and direct leaching flows to otherwise inaccessible ore zones. Delivers fluids where needed with minimal new infrastructure, targeting stranded assets, legacy waste, and heap leach systems. Aimed at existing mining operators.
- Licensing and Joint Ventures Thunderstone's conductivity technology extended beyond mining into clean-tech fields such as carbon mineralization, geothermal energy, and hydrogen production, offered through licensing or joint venture arrangements using a modular, site-responsive system to accelerate subsurface transformation. Targeted at clean-tech investors and strategic partners.
Quantifiable outcome
- 0% excavation required
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Thunderstone
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Thunderstone technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Thunderstone partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Thunderstone competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Lilac Solutions: Lilac Solutions develops novel ion-exchange lithium extraction technology. Both companies replace conventional hard-rock mining with chemical/physical in-situ extraction methods targeting critical battery minerals, competing for the same clean-energy mining technology buyer.
- Cameco: Cameco is the world's largest uranium producer and a leading commercial user of in-situ recovery (ISR/ISL) for uranium extraction. Thunderstone's electrical-pulse in-situ leaching competes directly with the ISR approach Cameco has deployed at scale across multiple sites.
- Energy Fuels: Energy Fuels operates uranium and rare earth in-situ recovery projects in the US. Both companies use chemical in-situ recovery approaches to extract metals without conventional excavation, positioning within the same clean-mining technology category.
Emerging players
- KoBold Metals: KoBold Metals uses AI-driven exploration to discover and develop critical mineral deposits (copper, nickel, lithium, cobalt). Both companies target the same critical-minerals value chain with technology-led approaches to making mineral extraction faster and cleaner than legacy methods.
- Ideon Technologies: Ideon Technologies uses subsurface sensing and imaging to map ore bodies for mining companies. Both companies apply advanced physics-based subsurface technology to accelerate and de-risk critical mineral discovery and extraction for the same enterprise customers.
Broad incumbents
- Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions: Sandvik supplies drilling, rock processing, and mining equipment to operators globally. As a broad incumbent in mining equipment manufacturing, Sandvik is the type of established vendor that Thunderstone's mining customers would otherwise purchase equipment from.
- Metso: Metso is a major supplier of mining, crushing, and minerals processing equipment. As a broad incumbent serving the same mine operators, Metso represents the conventional equipment ecosystem that Thunderstone's excavation-free approach is positioning to disrupt.
- Rio Tinto: Rio Tinto is a top-tier diversified miner and an existing investor in Thunderstone. As both a strategic shareholder and a potential pilot customer/competitor with internal mining-technology R&D, Rio Tinto occupies a unique incumbent role relative to Thunderstone.
- Freeport-McMoRan: Freeport-McMoRan is one of the world's largest copper miners with significant exposure to copper critical-mineral demand. As a target enterprise customer and incumbent competitor with deep in-house mining innovation teams, Freeport is directly comparable to Thunderstone's prospective buyer base.
- BHP: BHP is the world's largest mining company by market cap, with major exposure to copper, nickel, and critical minerals. As a target enterprise customer with its own mining innovation and venture arms, BHP represents the type of large incumbent Thunderstone's go-to-market targets.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses1 record
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Thunderstone social profiles
Digital presenceThunderstone financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Thunderstone leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Thunderstone funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Thunderstone 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 Thunderstone
What does Thunderstone do?
Thunderstone develops and deploys a proprietary high-voltage electrical pulse ("underground lightning") technology that enables in-situ metal recovery from below-grade ore bodies without excavation, drilling, blasting, or hauling. The company offers three pathways: (1) in-situ metal recovery for extracting metals from below-grade ore, small deposits, or unlisted assets; (2) services to existing mines to improve subsurface permeability and direct leaching flows in stranded assets, legacy waste, and heap leach systems; and (3) licensing or joint ventures extending the conductivity technology to clean-tech fields such as carbon mineralization, geothermal energy, and hydrogen production.
Is Thunderstone a public or private company?
Thunderstone is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Thunderstone founded?
Thunderstone was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Thunderstone based?
Thunderstone is headquartered in Albuquerque, United States, in the North America region.
How does Thunderstone make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Licensing and Joint Ventures are the primary driver. The others are service to Existing Mines.
Who are Thunderstone's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Lilac Solutions, Cameco and Energy Fuels. Emerging players are KoBold Metals and Ideon Technologies. Broad incumbents are Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, Metso, Rio Tinto, Freeport-McMoRan and BHP.
Does Thunderstone have an API?
No public API is recorded for Thunderstone.
What industry is Thunderstone in?
Thunderstone's product category is Mining Technology Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAKAKAC, Blasting & Explosives Services (Drill-and-Blast, Explosives Supply, Shot Services), with a secondary code of IMAKADAL, Copper Tailings, Waste & Water Management. Its NAICS code is 213114 and its SIC code is 3532.