CBMM
CBMM is the world's leading niobium producer, controlling approximately 80% of global supply from its integrated mine-to-product operations in Araxá, Brazil. It supplies ferroniobium, niobium oxides, and battery anode materials to over 500 customers across steel, energy, mobility, and aerospace sectors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1955
- HeadquartersAraxá, Brazil
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What CBMM does
CBMM (Companhia Brasileira de Metalurgia e Mineração) is a privately held Brazilian mining and materials company founded in 1955 in Araxá, Minas Gerais, and is the world's leading supplier of niobium products and technology. The company controls approximately 80% of global niobium production and over 82% of the ferro niobium market from its integrated open-pit mining and industrial complex in Araxá. CBMM operates a fully vertically integrated value chain spanning 160+ chemical and metallurgical processing steps to produce ferroniobium (for HSLA steel), vacuum-grade niobium alloys (for aerospace and superconductors), niobium pentoxide, metallic niobium, and emerging battery-grade niobium anode materials including the XNO and NTO (SCiB Nb) product lines.
The company's commercial reach spans a global network of wholly-owned regional offices (Houston for North America, Amsterdam for EMEA, Singapore for Southeast Asia, Geneva for technology coordination, three China offices, and São Paulo) complemented by exclusive distribution partnerships with Sojitz Corporation (Japan, with a 15% ownership stake) and CITIC Metal (China). It serves over 500 customers across three primary segments: Steel and Construction (~85% of niobium demand, via HSLA steel microalloying), Energy and Mobility (battery anodes for ultra-fast charging applications), and Aerospace and Healthcare (vacuum-grade alloys, MRI superconductors). Strategic technology partnerships with Toshiba, Echion Technologies, Gus Technology, NOVONIX, University of Birmingham, Volkswagen, and Nyobolt are positioning niobium as a critical material for electric vehicle electrification, energy storage, and carbon recycling in steelmaking.
CBMM generates revenue primarily through one-time product sales of niobium materials, with pricing set by market supply-demand dynamics. The company commands a substantial price premium (approximately 10x aluminum, 20x steel) reflecting its near-monopoly position. It has invested in proprietary technology centers, holds multiple ISO certifications (9001, 14001, 45001, 17025, 27001, 37001), and reports Scope 1 and 2 carbon neutrality targets for 2040. CBMM also reports sustainability disclosures under GRI and SASB standards, and has demonstrated significant environmental stewardship including 96% water recycling in production.
CBMM firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CBMM
- Legal name
- Companhia Brasileira de Metalurgia e Mineração
- Website
- https://cbmm.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1955
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- CBMM is the world's leading niobium producer, controlling approximately 80% of global supply from its integrated mine-to-product operations in Araxá, Brazil. It supplies ferroniobium, niobium oxides, and battery anode materials to over 500 customers across steel, energy, mobility, and aerospace sectors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CBMM industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Niobium Materials and Mining
- NAICS
- Basic Chemical Manufacturing (3251), Chemical Manufacturing (325)
- SIC
- Primary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Battery-Grade Chemical Processing (LiOH/Li2CO3, Ni/Co Sulfates, Mn Sulfate) (IMAKAFAI)
Keywords
Where CBMM is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Araxá
- HQ country
- Brazil
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices9 records
Markets served
CBMM business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Niobium Product Sales: CBMM generates revenue through the sale of processed niobium products including ferroniobium, vacuum-grade niobium alloys, niobium pentoxide, metallic niobium, and niobium-based anode materials. Products are sold directly through regional offices and via distributors in specific markets.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
CBMM product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CBMM is the world's leading supplier of niobium products and technology, fully integrated from open-pit mining in Araxá, Brazil through 160+ chemical and metallurgical processing steps to final products. The company produces and sells ferroniobium, vacuum-grade niobium alloys, niobium pentoxide, battery-grade niobium oxide, and metallic niobium to industrial customers in the steel, mobility, energy, aerospace, and healthcare sectors across more than 50 countries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Kika no Cerrado: Environmental education initiative featuring characters Kika, Eva, and Manduca teaching about the Cerrado biome and environmental preservation
- Pessoas que Transformam
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Humano (CDH)
Products and services
- Ferroniobium Primary niobium product used as a microalloying element in high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steel production. Sold to steel mills, automotive manufacturers, and construction materials producers globally to enhance steel strength, durability, and weight-reduction properties.
- Vacuum-Grade Niobium Alloys High-purity niobium alloys produced via vacuum processing for high-temperature and extreme-environment applications. Sold to medical imaging equipment manufacturers, particle accelerator operators, aerospace primes, and specialty alloy producers for superconductors, spacecraft components, and medical devices.
- Niobium Pentoxide
- Metallic Niobium Pure metallic niobium sold to specialty alloy producers, superconductor manufacturers, and advanced materials fabricators for high-performance applications.
- Battery-Grade Niobium Oxide High-purity battery-grade niobium oxide produced at CBMM's 3,000 tonnes per year industrial-scale refining facility, used in advanced lithium-ion battery cathode and anode materials. Sold to battery cell producers, EV manufacturers, and energy storage companies.
- Niobium-Based Anode Materials (XNO / NTO) Niobium-based anode materials including XNO (mixed niobium oxide) and NTO (niobium-titanium oxide) used by battery cell producers to manufacture ultra-fast charging lithium-ion batteries with extended cycle life, low-temperature operation, and high energy density. Sold to battery cell producers and EV OEM partners such as Toshiba, Echion Technologies, and Gus Technology.
Quantifiable outcome
- 90% carbon emissions reduction in steel-making through niobium-based carbon recycling technology
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use CBMM
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
CBMM technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
CBMM partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Echion TechnologiescorePartnership for XNO niobium-based anode technology development for commercial battery production. Echion's dedicated XNO production partnership with CBMM capable of supplying approximately 1GWh of cells per year.
- Gus TechnologycoreTaiwan-based partner for commercial manufacturing of high-power lithium-ion batteries using Echion's XNO niobium-based anode technology. Manufacturing underway at Gus's Zhongli facility in Taiwan with annual capacity of around 1GWh.
- CodemigcoreJoint governance partnership for niobium exploration in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Established Audit, Compliance, Governance, and Sustainability Committee to strengthen oversight. Codemig secured 25% share of niobium profits for up to 45 years under October 2025 contract.
- University of BirminghamcorePartnership to reduce cost of producing niobium for closed-loop carbon technology that can cut carbon emissions in steel-making by up to 90%. Technology uses niobium-based perovskites to convert captured CO2 into carbon monoxide for blast furnace feed.
- PeroCycleminorSpin-out company backed by University of Birmingham and Anglo American for commercialization of niobium-based carbon recycling technology outcomes.
- Toshiba CorporationcoreStrategic partnership for niobium-titanium oxide (NTO) battery technology branded as SCiB Nb, enabling ultra-fast charging at 5C rates with approximately 15,000 cycle longevity for commercial vehicle electrification. CBMM supplies approximately 85% of global niobium production through Sojitz's exclusive Japanese market representation and 15% ownership stake.
- NOVONIXcoreJoint development agreement focused on nickel-based cathode materials for batteries. NOVONIX uses its patented all-dry, zero-waste synthesis process and pilot line to synthesize, test, and analyze cathode active materials incorporating CBMM's niobium products.
- Volkswagen Caminhões e ÔnibuscorePartnership for development of electric bus prototype launched in 2024, powered by lithium-ion battery with niobium technology developed with Toshiba and CBMM.
- Sojitz CorporationcoreExclusive Japanese market distributor for CBMM niobium products with 15% ownership stake in the partnership arrangement.
- CITIC MetalcoreOfficial sales partner for CBMM niobium products in China market.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
CBMM competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Sojitz Corporation: Sojitz is CBMM's exclusive Japanese market distributor and holds a 15% ownership stake. It is included as a peer given its deep commercial and equity alignment with CBMM and its broader role as a trading house for critical minerals and specialty metals in Asia.
- Toshiba Corporation: Toshiba is a strategic battery development partner of CBMM, co-developing the SCiB Nb niobium-titanium oxide ultra-fast charging battery. It is included as a peer given its joint technology roadmap with CBMM and its established position in lithium-ion battery systems for industrial and mobility applications.
Broad incumbents
- Vale S.A. Vale is a Brazilian-headquartered global mining major producing iron ore, nickel, copper, and other metals. It is comparable to CBMM as a Brazilian-domiciled, vertically-integrated miner with diversified mineral output and similar geographic concentration in Brazil.
- Anglo American plc: Anglo American is a diversified global mining major with exposure to critical minerals, base metals, and steelmaking inputs. It is comparable to CBMM through its diversification strategy into future-facing materials and its partnership with University of Birmingham on the PeroCycle carbon recycling technology.
- Glencore plc: Glencore is one of the world's largest diversified natural resource companies with significant mining, smelting, and metals trading operations including cobalt, copper, and zinc. It is comparable to CBMM as a vertically integrated mining and metals marketing business with trading scale.
- CMOC Group (China Molybdenum): CMOC is a major Chinese mining and metals company with operations across copper, cobalt, molybdenum, and niobium (via the Brazilian Catalão/Nebojas deposits). It is comparable as a diversified critical minerals producer with exposure to niobium, batteries, and steel-related metals.
Direct peers
- NioCorp Developments: NioCorp is developing the Elk Creek critical minerals project in Nebraska, targeting niobium, scandium, titanium, and rare earths. It is the most direct comparable to CBMM as a primary niobium producer aiming to enter Western markets outside CBMM's Brazilian supply dominance.
Emerging players
- Materion Corporation: Materion is a US-based specialty metals producer with capabilities in beryllium, precious metals, and advanced alloys. It is comparable to CBMM as a niche specialty metallurgy business serving aerospace, energy, and industrial customers with high-value engineered materials.
- MP Materials Corp. MP Materials is the largest producer of rare earth materials in the Western Hemisphere, with an integrated mine-to-magnet platform and US strategic backing. It is comparable to CBMM as a vertically integrated, Western-aligned critical minerals champion pursuing supply diversification away from concentrated incumbent geographies.
- Echion Technologies: Echion is a UK-based battery materials company that developed the XNO niobium-based anode technology now commercialized with CBMM and Gus Technology. It is comparable to CBMM as a direct development partner in the niobium battery materials space, with aligned commercialization economics.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CBMM social profiles
Digital presenceCBMM financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CBMM leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
CBMM subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
CBMM funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CBMM M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments9 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CBMM
What does CBMM do?
CBMM is the world's leading supplier of niobium products and technology, fully integrated from open-pit mining in Araxá, Brazil through 160+ chemical and metallurgical processing steps to final products. The company produces and sells ferroniobium, vacuum-grade niobium alloys, niobium pentoxide, battery-grade niobium oxide, and metallic niobium to industrial customers in the steel, mobility, energy, aerospace, and healthcare sectors across more than 50 countries.
Is CBMM a public or private company?
CBMM is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was CBMM founded?
CBMM was founded in 1955. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is CBMM based?
CBMM is headquartered in Araxá, Brazil, in the Latin America region.
How does CBMM make money?
One revenue line is on record: niobium Product Sales.
Who are CBMM's main competitors?
Others on record are Sojitz Corporation and Toshiba Corporation. Broad incumbents are Vale S.A., Anglo American plc, Glencore plc and CMOC Group (China Molybdenum). NioCorp Developments is listed as a direct peer. Emerging players are Materion Corporation, MP Materials Corp. and Echion Technologies.
Does CBMM have an API?
No public API is recorded for CBMM.
What industry is CBMM in?
CBMM's product category is Niobium Materials and Mining. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAKAFAI, Battery-Grade Chemical Processing (LiOH/Li2CO3, Ni/Co Sulfates, Mn Sulfate). Its NAICS code is 3251 and its SIC code is 3330.