What ElementUSA does

ElementUSA Inc. is a private midstream minerals processing company founded in 2020 (originally as ElementUS) and headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with operations in Gramercy, Louisiana and a research hub in Cedar Park, Texas. The company applies a proprietary integrated hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical flowsheet branded Waste2Market (W2M) to convert bauxite residue (red mud) — a legacy industrial waste from alumina refining — into pig iron and a diversified suite of critical minerals and rare earth elements including scandium, gallium, germanium, yttrium, neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, terbium, gadolinium, titanium, vanadium, niobium, and tantalum. ElementUSA holds exclusive long-term feedstock access to approximately 34 million tonnes of bauxite residue at the Atalco refinery in Louisiana (the only operating alumina refinery in the United States) plus an additional 15 million tonnes through an agreement with LAlumina at its Burnside site, enabling production without any new mining. The company's technology backbone includes the Critical Resource Accelerator (CRA), an integrated lab-to-pilot hub providing analytical testing, bench- and pilot-scale development, and advisory services, plus the W2M AI platform developed in partnership with Prospector to create a mineral matchmaker marketplace.

ElementUSA generates revenue through five streams: direct sales of extracted critical minerals, REEs and pig iron to defense primes, semiconductor manufacturers, and energy systems companies; licensing and royalty arrangements (e.g., a Metallium partnership including 2-3% revenue share on metal sales); advisory and consulting services delivered through the CRA; pig iron co-production; and sale of industrial by-products such as iron oxide pigments, titanium dioxide pigments, and calcium carbonate from its zero-residue refining process. Pricing is negotiated bilaterally via B2B offtake agreements and government contracting, with no public price disclosure. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting defense primes, semiconductor and advanced materials companies, and specialty off-takers on phased commercial delivery pathways, supplemented by direct engagement with federal agencies (DOE, Department of War) for grant and procurement programs under bipartisan reshoring initiatives.

The company is pre-commercial: no product revenue is disclosed, with demonstration facility construction targeted for mid-2027 and initial production in Q3 2028. To date it has secured $96.9 million in non-dilutive federal funding ($67M DOE plus $29.9M Department of War), reached an $850 million investment decision for a Louisiana refining facility, and operates with 11-50 employees under parent company DADA Holdings. Strategic partnerships span Colorado School of Mines (academic lead), DISA Technologies (HPSA technology), Metallium (Flash Joule Heating), Ramaco Resources (Brook Mine flowsheet work), Ma'aden (Saudi Arabia international expansion), Atlantic Alumina Company (feedstock), and LAlumina (additional feedstock).

Name

ElementUSA

Legal name

ElementUSA Inc.

Website

https://elementusaminerals.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ElementUSA is a private midstream minerals processor that converts U.S. bauxite residue (red mud) into critical minerals, rare earths, and pig iron for defense primes, semiconductor manufacturers, and energy systems companies through its proprietary Waste2Market flowsheet.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Critical Minerals Processing

NAICS

Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Smelting and Refining (33141)

SIC

Primary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3330), Secondary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3341)

akta.pro primary industry

Rare Earths Separation & Refining (Oxides/Metals) (IMAKAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial & Manufacturing Scrap Recycling (Factory Scrap, Turnings, Offcuts) (IMAKAMAE), Non-Ferrous Scrap Processing & Recycling (Aluminum, Copper, Brass, Lead, Zinc) (EUAIAJAB)

Keywords

• Critical minerals processing
• Rare earth elements
• Bauxite residue recovery
• Mineral waste valorization
• Hydrometallurgical refining

Headquarters

HQ city

Gramercy

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Critical Minerals and REEs Sales: Revenue from selling extracted and separated critical minerals and rare earth elements including gallium, scandium, dysprosium, terbium, yttrium, neodymium, praseodymium, gadolinium, titanium, vanadium, niobium, and tantalum to defense primes, semiconductor companies, and specialty manufacturers. The facility also produces pig iron as a co-product. Diversified revenue streams improve unit economics and provide resilience against volatile rare earth pricing.
2. Technology Licensing and Royalty Arrangements: Revenue from licensing ElementUSA's proprietary processes to third parties, including per-tonne processing royalties and revenue share arrangements (e.g., 2-3% revenue share on metal sales) with technology partners such as Metallium for deployment of Flash Joule Heating technology.
3. Advisory and Consulting Services: Fee-based advisory services across the mineral value chain offered through the Critical Resource Accelerator. Services include resource assessment, process validation, feasibility studies, and commercialization support for resource owners, technology providers, and mineral end users.
4. Pig Iron Co-Production: The integrated process co-produces pig iron from bauxite residue alongside critical minerals and REEs, improving unit economics through diversified revenue streams from iron-based products used in steel production.
5. Industrial By-Product Sales: Sale of value-added by-products including iron oxide pellets and briquettes (used in steel production), iron oxide pigments, titanium dioxide pigments, silica oxides, calcium carbonate, sorbents, and coagulants produced from the zero-residue refining process.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ElementUSA provides end-to-end Waste2Market (W2M) services that convert bauxite residue (red mud) and other industrial waste streams into critical minerals, rare earth elements (REEs), pig iron, and value-added by-products such as iron oxide pellets, titanium dioxide pigments, silica oxides, and calcium carbonate. The company operates an integrated hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical flowsheet producing gallium, scandium, germanium, neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, terbium, yttrium, gadolinium, titanium, vanadium, niobium, and tantalum. It also runs the Critical Resource Accelerator (CRA), a laboratory-to-pilot R&D hub, and the W2M AI mineral matchmaker platform.

Product overview

ElementUSA is a midstream minerals processing company offering end-to-end Waste2Market (W2M) services that transform industrial liabilities into essential minerals. The core offerings center on the Critical Resource Accelerator (CRA), a research and development hub in Cedar Park, Texas that provides analytical laboratory testing, bench scale testing, pilot scale development, and advisory services. The W2M AI platform connects resource producers, technology providers, and consumers through an AI-driven mineral marketplace. Three operational programs form the processing backbone: the W2M Bauxite Residue Program (recovering iron, alumina, scandium, gallium from 30+ million tons of bauxite residue), the Midstream Infrastructure Development Program (building domestic processing capacity), and the W2M Salt Dross Recovery Program (recovering materials from secondary aluminum waste). Major facilities include a $850M REE processing facility in Louisiana (backed by $67M DOE funding) and a gallium/scandium extraction demonstration facility ($29.9M DOW funded).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Critical Resource Accelerator (CRA) A premier research, development, and design hub in Cedar Park, Texas that provides analytical laboratory testing (ICP-OES, XRF, LECO, Microtrac, XRD, Sieve Analysis), bench scale testing, pilot scale development, and advisory services for resource owners, technology providers, and mineral end users across the critical minerals value chain.
• W2M AI (Waste2Market AI)

Quantifiable outcome

• 34 million tonnes of bauxite residue reserves with potential to produce 45–385% of U.S. annual demand for key critical minerals (gallium, scandium, yttrium, germanium, ytterbium, dysprosium, gadolinium)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.

• MetalliumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 December 2025Strategic partnership deploying Metallium's Flash Joule Heating technology for recovering gallium and scandium from industrial waste at ElementUSA's Gramercy alumina refinery in Louisiana. Partnership includes up to $10.1M in non-dilutive funding across two phases and access to over 30 million tonnes of red mud feedstock. Revenue streams include technology licence fees, per-tonne processing royalties, and 2-3% revenue share on metal sales.
• Ramaco ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 November 2025ElementUSA supports Ramaco's Brook Mine development in Wyoming — the first domestic REE and critical mineral operation in over 70 years. ElementUSA utilizes its Critical Resource Accelerator to help Ramaco advance flowsheet design and optimize mineral recovery. The Brook Mine initially focuses on vertically integrated production of commercial REE oxides. Partnership underscores both companies' commitment to reshoring critical mineral production.
• DISA TechnologiescoreTechnology or Integration · 11 September 2025Strategic partnership to accelerate reprocessing of mine waste across North America. Combines DISA's patented High Pressure Slurry Ablation (HPSA) technology with ElementUSA's mineral extraction expertise. ElementUSA operates a bench-scale HPSA unit at its Critical Resource Accelerator in Cedar Park, Texas. Both companies will jointly identify pilot sites for commercial-scale demonstrations and advance market development across North American mining sector.
• Colorado School of MinesflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 September 2025ElementUSA partners with Colorado School of Mines' Waste-to-Value Center (led by Elizabeth Holley) for the $67M DOE-funded REE processing facility in Gramercy, Louisiana. The partnership advances recovery of critical minerals from mine waste, from site selection through implementation. Colorado School of Mines contributes world-class expertise in mining, mineral engineering, and applied science. The Critical Resource Accelerator collaborates closely with CSM on technical validation, mineral characterization, and scale-up studies.
• University of Texas at Austin (Jackson School of Geosciences)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 August 2025ElementUSA engaged in strategic collaboration with the Jackson School of Geosciences at the University of Texas at a Critical Minerals Workshop in August 2025. Chris Young, Chief Strategy Officer, contributed to discussions on the critical minerals landscape, sustainable extraction initiatives, and collaborative opportunities across the mineral supply chain.
• Ma'aden (Saudi Arabian Mining Company)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 January 2025ElementUSA and Ma'aden signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for using ElementUSA's technology to extract critical minerals and REEs from various waste streams including red mud and phosphogypsum. The partnership supports Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 and Critical Minerals Strategy, positioning the Kingdom for significant global market share in critical minerals production. This is ElementUSA's first international partnership since incorporation.
• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPNNL is part of the Colorado School of Mines and ElementUSA-led DOE project to build a demonstration facility in Louisiana processing red mud from bauxite waste, alongside Principal Mineral and Rare Earth Technologies Inc.
• Techint Engineering and ConstructionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerElementUS engaged Techint Engineering and Construction to commence front-end engineering design in conjunction with Enervoxa and DADA engineering teams. Techint provides engineering, procurement, construction, operation and management services with over 70 years of experience completing more than 3,500 projects globally.
• Atlantic Alumina Company (ATALCO)coreOthersAtlantic Alumina Company operates the Atalco alumina refinery in Gramercy, Louisiana — the only alumina refinery in the United States. ElementUSA has exclusive rights to all bauxite residue produced at the Atalco refinery site (currently ~34 million tonnes, with ~1 million tonnes added annually). ElementUSA's process serves the dual purpose of extracting strategic minerals while cleaning up bauxite residue. The Atalco/Gramercy site is central to ElementUSA's operations.
• LAluminacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive agreement with LAlumina to process bauxite residue situated at LAlumina's Burnside, Louisiana refinery. Agreement adds up to 15 million tonnes of additional captive feedstock supply to ElementUSA's portfolio, allowing for professional remediation of bauxite residue from decades of operations. The agreement also enables ElementUSA to relocate its analytical laboratory and pilot plant to Burnside to be near both feedstock sites.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Arafura Resources: Arafura is developing the Nolans REE project in central Australia targeting NdPr oxide production. Comparable focus on non-Chinese REE supply for permanent magnets and defense applications, with similar pre-construction stage and government-supported financing structure.
• HyProMag: HyProMag is commercializing the Hydrogen Processing of Magnet Scrap (HPMS) technology for recycled rare earth magnets. Comparable focus on secondary feedstock-based REE recovery, addressing similar domestic supply chain vulnerabilities for defense and clean energy customers.
• Ucore Rare Metals: Ucore is developing the Kingston Ontario Rare Earth Processing Facility and the RapidSX separation technology. Comparable focus on North American midstream REE separation capacity with similar technology-development stage and government engagement.

Broad incumbents

• Alcoa Corporation: Alcoa is the operator of the former Noranda Alumina site and a major global alumina producer. While not directly competing with ElementUSA's downstream REE processing, Alcoa is the upstream source of bauxite residue at Gramercy and a strategic counterpart for feedstock rights and site co-location.
• Lynas Rare Earths: Lynas is the largest non-Chinese integrated REE miner and processor, operating the Mt Weld mine in Australia and a processing facility in Malaysia. It is the global incumbent in non-Chinese REE separation and a benchmark for scaled commercial operations ElementUSA aspires to reach.

Direct peers

• USA Rare Earth: USA Rare Earth is developing a domestic REE and critical mineral processing platform including a magnet manufacturing facility in Stillwater, Oklahoma. ElementUSA's CFO previously led USA Rare Earth's de-SPAC readiness, signaling deep operational familiarity. Direct overlap on REE processing for U.S. defense and commercial customers.
• Energy Fuels: Energy Fuels is a U.S.-based critical minerals and rare earth processor operating the White Mesa Mill in Utah. It processes monazite and other feedstocks for separated REOs and is a direct U.S. competitor in midstream REE processing from alternative feedstocks.
• MP Materials: MP Materials operates the Mountain Pass mine and processing facility in California, the only scaled U.S. producer of rare earth concentrates and oxides. It is the most directly comparable U.S. REE company, with a focus on domestic mine-to-magnet supply chain for defense and EV applications.
• NioCorp Developments: NioCorp is developing the Elk Creek critical minerals project in Nebraska for niobium, scandium, titanium and rare earths. Comparable polymetallic co-production model targeting defense and clean energy end markets, with similar project-financing and offtake-driven commercial structure.
• Iluka Resources: Iluka Resources is developing a fully integrated rare earths refinery in Eneabba, Western Australia, backed by Australian government support. Comparable business model in non-Chinese REE refining infrastructure with similar scale-up, government co-financing, and offtake-driven commercial structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/elementusa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ElementUSA