What Big Rock Exploration does

Big Rock Exploration is a private, Minnesota-based geoscience consulting and mining services firm founded in 2010 by Rob Bergmann and Brian Lentz. The company delivers end-to-end exploration project services—including drill program design and management, core logging, geological mapping and sampling, GIS and 3D modeling, geophysical surveys, petrography, permitting and compliance, and land acquisition—principally to mining and natural resource clients across the United States and Canada. It is licensed as a Minnesota Explorer, holds Qualified Persons status under NI 43-101, and is MSHA-certified for surface and underground operations, enabling it to staff technical and regulatory-compliant engagements across multiple commodities (gold, copper, Ni-Cu-PGE, diamonds, gemstones, industrial minerals) and, more recently, renewable energy projects.

The firm's service portfolio is anchored by twelve consulting service lines and one proprietary technology product, PiAutoStage—a 3D-printed, computer-controlled digital microscopy system co-developed with Michigan State University that delivers tiled, high-resolution petrographic imagery for online collaborative viewing. Its core technology stack combines this proprietary imaging platform with industry-standard tools (ArcGIS, Vulcan, LeapFrog) and traditional field-data-collection methodologies, supporting both technical deliverables (resource estimates, technical reporting, 3D geologic models) and personnel augmentation. The firm employs a mix of owners, directors, employees, independent contractors, and interns across three locations, with field staff expected to travel up to 75% of the time.

Big Rock operates a project-based, professional services revenue model with custom, quote-driven pricing and multi-year contract cadences. Go-to-market is sales-led and reputation-driven: direct outreach through the corporate website, industry networks, case studies, and conference participation targeting enterprise mining companies, junior explorers, and adjacent natural-resource developers. In November 2025, founder-led operations transitioned to a next-generation leadership team under newly appointed President Doug Portis, with the founders retaining Board of Directors roles—indicating a deliberate move from founder-led to professionally managed growth while the firm continues to be privately held with no disclosed institutional investment.

Name

Big Rock Exploration

Legal name

Big Rock Exploration

Website

https://bigrockexploration.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Big Rock Exploration is a private geoscience consulting and mining services firm delivering end-to-end exploration project management, geological expertise, and proprietary digital microscopy to mining, mineral, and energy clients across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Geoscience Consulting and Mining Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Mining (2131), Support Activities for Metal Mining (213114), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (54136)

SIC

Metal Mining (1000), Oil & Gas Field Exploration Services (1382), Mining & Quarrying Of Nonmetallic Minerals (No Fuels) (1400)

akta.pro primary industry

Mineral Exploration & Geoscience Services (Geology, Geophysics, Geochemistry, Resource Modeling) (IMAKAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mine Surveying & Geospatial Services (Survey, Drone/LiDAR, GIS, Grade Control) (IMAKAKAK), Precious Metals Exploration & Project Development (IMAKAEAI), Copper Exploration & Resource Development (IMAKADAA)

Keywords

• Geoscience consulting
• Mineral exploration services
• Mining project management
• Geological mapping and sampling
• NI 43-101 reporting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Geoscience Consulting Services: Professional consulting fees for geological expertise, project management, technical reporting, and data interpretation services provided to mining and resource companies throughout North America.
2. Technical Staffing and Personnel Services: Providing qualified geoscientists, project managers, field technicians, and specialists to client exploration projects. The company supplies 'qualified staffing' as an extension of clients' teams.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Big Rock Exploration is an international geoscience consulting and mining services firm that delivers end-to-end project management, geological expertise, and data interpretation across the full mineral exploration lifecycle. Its offerings span drill program design and management, core logging, geological mapping and sampling, GIS and 3D modeling, petrography, geophysical surveys, permitting and compliance, and technical reporting, complemented by qualified technical staffing to extend client exploration teams.

Product overview

Big Rock Exploration is an international geoscience consulting and mining services firm offering end-to-end project management, geological expertise, and data interpretation across the full exploration lifecycle. Its portfolio consists of a suite of service offerings — Drill Program Design and Management, Project Management and Consultation, Core Logging and Processing, Geological Technical Reporting, Land Acquisition and Claim Staking, Geological Mapping and Sampling, Chips and Soils Sediment Logging, GIS and 3D Modeling, Data Management, Petrography, Geophysical Surveys, and Permitting and Project Compliance — complemented by one proprietary technology product, PiAutoStage, a digital microscopy system for high-resolution petrographic sample imaging and remote collaborative viewing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PiAutoStage: Proprietary digital microscopy technology developed by Big Rock Senior Geologist Alex Steiner and Michigan State University Professor Tyrone Rooney. The system provides high-resolution imagery of petrographic samples delivered online using tiled image format, allowing clients to view sections directly without owning a microscope.

Products and services

• Drill Program Design and Management Provides experienced project managers and teams to support successful drilling programs, including 3D modeling and drillhole planning, site and contractor management, reporting and budget management, and data collection best practices for mining and exploration clients.
• Project Management and Consultation Customized project management driving exploration projects toward successful completion through experienced managers leveraging technical background, communication skills, personnel management, and timely decision-making.
• Core Logging and Processing Organized and mobile core logging teams trained in oriented and non-oriented core logging, data management, industry standard classification methodologies, and timely data communications across a wide range of software for mining exploration clients.
• Geological Technical Reporting Technical, safety, and regulatory reporting services customized for compliance, investor relations, project teams, safety, and government agency reporting, including NI 43-101 compliant resource reporting.
• Land Acquisition and Claim Staking Acquiring ownership of natural resource assets including water, minerals, surface, and timber through legal actions with proper agency coordination, claim staking, and permit acquisition throughout North America.
• Geological Mapping and Sampling Geologic mapping and sampling pairing traditional paper mapping techniques with modern data collection applications to deliver GIS products including high-resolution lithologic data, structural data, and assay-based geochemical interpolations.
• Chips and Soils Sediment Logging Oversight of non-core drilling programs including Reverse Circulation drilling and chips logging, sonic and auger drilling for aggregate resource estimations, and soil characterization using USCS classification, SPT, and Shelby Tubes.
• GIS and 3D Modeling Cost-effective GIS and 3D modeling solutions using tools including ArcGIS, Vulcan, and LeapFrog for advanced targeting and analytics, delivering statistical, thematic, and visual displays of complex geological datasets.
• Data Management Industry standard methodology and best-in-class software solutions providing QAQC reports, secure and timely data access, chart and map exports, customized data outputs, and compliance documentation for mineral exploration projects.
• Petrography Petrographic analysis transforming traditional static microscopy documents into high-resolution digital samples with endless annotation possibilities, utilizing Big Rock's proprietary technology for remote collaborative viewing without requiring physical microscope access.
• Geophysical Surveys Ground magnetics surveys providing cost-effective, targeted geophysics data for remote projects, combining direct exploration methods with systematic geophysical survey data to assess subsurface soil and rock characteristics over large areas.
• Permitting and Project Compliance Expertise in navigating permitting and project compliance with US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and federal, state, and county agencies for environmental, water, solid waste, and project-specific permits on public and private lands.
• PiAutoStage Digital Microscopy System Proprietary automated microscopy system delivering high-resolution digital imagery of petrographic samples through a 3D-printed, computer-controlled stage mechanism with tiled image format for online viewing, designed to enable remote collaborative analysis without physical microscope access.

Quantifiable outcome

• Delivered exploration programs for major multinational mining companies across North America and beyond

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Twin Metals Minnesota LLCminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025Dr. Alex Steiner previously worked with Twin Metals Minnesota LLC, bringing expertise in magmatic Ni-Cu-PGE deposits and petrology of large mafic magmatic systems to Big Rock's team.
• Michigan State University (Professor Tyrone Rooney)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2020Collaborative development of the PiAutoStage digital microscopy system with Michigan State University Professor Tyrone Rooney. The system was designed to provide students and researchers with high-resolution imagery of petrographic samples during the COVID-19 pandemic when laboratory access was limited.
• Rio Tinto ExplorationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Alex Steiner previously worked with Rio Tinto Exploration, bringing industry experience to the Big Rock team.
• Society for Economic Geologists (SEG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGabriel Sweet is an active member of SEG, providing professional affiliation and industry network connections.
• Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration (SME)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGabriel Sweet is an active member of SME, providing professional affiliation and industry network connections.
• BRI.GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeparate venture by cofounders Rob Bergmann and Brian Lentz. They remain on Big Rock's Board of Directors while pursuing other projects through BRI.Group.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Stantec Mining: Large global engineering firm with a mining services practice spanning exploration support, environmental permitting, and geotechnical work — competes with Big Rock on enterprise engagements and offers broader integrated capabilities.
• WSP (Mining Services, ex-Golder): Global professional services firm with mining consulting capabilities including geological services, exploration support, and resource evaluation — competes with Big Rock particularly on multi-disciplinary mining and infrastructure projects.
• Wood (Mining & Metals): International engineering and consulting firm offering geoscience and mining project services as part of broader mining and metals practice; competes for major mining company enterprise consulting mandates.

Direct peers

• RPA (now SLR Consulting Mining): Specialized mining advisory and geological consulting firm focused on mineral resource estimation, NI 43-101 reporting, and due diligence — a direct competitor in the qualified-person and technical-reporting segment.
• SRK Consulting: Global independent geoscience and mining consulting firm offering resource estimation, NI 43-101 reporting, exploration support, and project management — directly overlapping with Big Rock's core services across the same mining clientele.
• AMC Consultants: Mining consultancy providing geological, geotechnical, and mine planning services globally; competes with Big Rock for mid-tier and major mining company exploration and resource evaluation projects.
• Piteau Associates: Specialized geological and geotechnical consulting firm serving the mining industry with services in rock mechanics, hydrogeology, and geological modeling — overlapping with Big Rock's mid-sized specialty consulting footprint.
• CSA Global (now part of ERM): International mining consulting firm specializing in geological consulting, resource estimation, and exploration services; competes directly for the same enterprise mining clients and Qualified Person mandates as Big Rock.

Emerging players

• Geological Survey & Assessment Inc. Boutique North American geoscience consulting firm offering exploration support and resource evaluation services — a smaller-scale emerging peer competing for similar junior-to-mid-tier mining clients.

Regional players

• BRS Engineering (now part of Barr Engineering): Midwest-based engineering firm with mining and natural resources consulting capabilities overlapping with Big Rock's regional U.S. presence, particularly on environmental and permitting-driven mining engagements.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Big Rock Exploration