Cuprum

What Cuprum does

Cuprum is a Toronto-based, privately held mining-technology company focused on commercializing a patented water-based chemical leaching process for extracting copper from chalcopyrite ore. Chalcopyrite is the most abundant copper-bearing mineral but has historically resisted conventional leaching because a passivation layer forms on the ore surface during processing; Cuprum's chemistry is designed to bypass that layer, achieving recovery rates exceeding 75% in approximately 100 days under room-temperature conditions. The technology has been pilot-tested on ores sourced from South Africa, the United States, Chile and Australia, indicating cross-jurisdiction applicability rather than a single-site proof of concept.

Cuprum monetizes the technology through a B2B enterprise licensing and deployment model, targeting copper mining operators globally via direct enterprise sales and industry events. Pricing and contract structures are not publicly disclosed and are described as bespoke licensing arrangements; revenue types in the data are categorized as licensing/royalties. In December 2025, Cuprum exercised a call option to acquire Strategic Minerals PLC's wholly-owned Leigh Creek Copper Mine subsidiary in South Australia's Northern Flinders Ranges (A$0.25M paid, A$1.75M deferred to 31 May 2026), giving the company an operational site to test its technology at production scale. In June 2026, the company closed a $19.4M Series A led by the Lundin Family Office with participation from BHP Ventures and Woodline Partners.

Operationally, Cuprum remains pre-revenue with a headcount of 1-10 employees. Beyond the core leaching technology and the Leigh Creek acquisition, a separate Cuprum SpA entity is advancing the Puquios copper project in Chile toward construction, with Marcelo Bruna appointed as CEO; this signals a growing corporate scope that spans both technology licensing and project-level copper development. Customer concentration is unknown — no named commercial customers have been disclosed — and the company has not yet announced a signed commercial license.

Name

Cuprum

Website

https://cuprum.ca

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cuprum is a Toronto-based mining-technology company commercializing a patented water-based chemical leaching process that extracts copper from chalcopyrite ore by bypassing the passivation layer, targeting global copper mining operators through a B2B enterprise licensing model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mining Technology

NAICS

Copper, Nickel, Lead, and Zinc Mining (212230), Support Activities for Metal Mining (213114)

SIC

Metal Mining (1000), Primary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3330)

akta.pro primary industry

Copper Hydrometallurgy (Leaching, SX/EW) (IMAKADAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Copper Ore Mining (Open-Pit & Underground) (IMAKADAB)

Keywords

• Copper extraction technology
• Hydrometallurgical leaching
• Chalcopyrite ore processing
• Mining technology licensing
• Copper recovery solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Technology Licensing and Deployment: The company commercializes its patented leaching technology by deploying it across copper mining operations globally. Revenue likely comes from technology licensing, deployment fees, and potentially production-based arrangements with mining partners.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Cuprum develops and commercializes a patented water-based chemical leaching technology for extracting copper from chalcopyrite ore. The technology bypasses the passivation layer that has historically blocked conventional leaching methods, achieving recovery rates exceeding 75% in approximately 100 days under room-temperature conditions. The company deploys and licenses this technology directly to copper mining operations globally, with the Leigh Creek Copper Mine in South Australia serving as a commercialization test site.

Product overview

Cuprum Metals is a mining technology company that has developed a patented water-based chemical leaching technology for copper extraction from chalcopyrite ore. The company's core offering is its leaching technology, which bypasses the passivation layer that has historically blocked conventional leaching methods, achieving recovery rates exceeding 75% in approximately 100 days under room-temperature conditions. The company exercised an option to acquire the Leigh Creek Copper Mine in South Australia's Northern Flinders Ranges in December 2025, marking a concrete step toward testing its technology at an operational site. The technology has been pilot-tested on ores from South Africa, the United States, Chile, and Australia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Patented Copper Leaching Technology A patented water-based chemical leaching technology that extracts copper from chalcopyrite ore deposits by bypassing the passivation layer that has historically blocked conventional leaching. Delivered to copper mining operators through licensing and deployment agreements, with demonstrated recovery rates exceeding 75% in approximately 100 days under room-temperature conditions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Copper recovery rate exceeding 75% from chalcopyrite ores
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Strategic Minerals PLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Cuprum Metals exercised its call option to acquire Strategic Minerals' wholly owned Leigh Creek Copper Mine subsidiary in South Australia's Northern Flinders Ranges. This acquisition provides Cuprum with an operational site to test and advance its patented leaching technology, representing a strategic step toward commercialization.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Anglo American: Anglo American is a diversified miner with significant copper exposure (Quellaveco, Los Bronces) and active innovation programs in processing technology. Its Quellaveco operation and ongoing R&D make it a comparable incumbent prospective licensee and competitor.
• Glencore: Glencore is one of the world's largest diversified miners and copper producers, with significant hydromet and SX-EW operations. As a major potential customer and competitor in processing technology, it is a relevant incumbent peer for Cuprum's enterprise sales motion.
• Freeport-McMoRan: Freeport-McMoRan is one of the largest copper producers globally with extensive hydrometallurgical operations across the Americas. It is a comparable incumbent customer/competitor for advanced chalcopyrite leaching technologies given its focus on sulfide copper processing.
• Codelco: Codelco is the world's largest copper miner and a Chilean state-owned producer with vast chalcopyrite reserves. As the dominant buyer of hydrometallurgical technology in Chile, it is a key reference customer archetype for Cuprum's Latin American expansion plans.
• BHP: BHP is one of the world's largest copper miners and an existing Cuprum investor via BHP Ventures. It pursues its own proprietary leaching and processing R&D, sets industry benchmarks for technology adoption, and represents both a strategic customer pathway and a competitive risk for Cuprum's licensing model.

Others

• Metso: Metso is a global supplier of mining and metals processing equipment, including concentrators, hydrometallurgical plants, and material handling systems. It is comparable as an enabling ecosystem participant whose installed base and EPC relationships Cuprum may leverage (or compete with) for technology integration.

Direct peers

• Jetti Resources: Jetti Resources is a copper technology startup that has developed a proprietary catalytic leaching process to recover copper from low-grade chalcopyrite and other sulfide ores. It is the most directly comparable peer to Cuprum, addressing the same passivation-layer challenge with a chemistry-based, room-temperature solution and licensing to major miners.
• Rio Tinto (Nuton): Rio Tinto's Nuton venture develops hydrometallurgical and bioleaching technologies for copper sulfide ores, including chalcopyrite. It competes head-to-head with Cuprum's thesis and brings incumbent balance-sheet scale, making it the most credible incumbent challenger in copper leach technology.

Emerging players

• Dundee Sustainable Technologies: Dundee Sustainable Technologies is a Canadian mining technology company developing environmentally friendly extraction and tailings processing solutions for base and precious metals. It overlaps with Cuprum as an emerging hydrometallurgical technology provider targeting the same mining sector pain points.
• Phoenix Tailings: Phoenix Tailings is an emerging U.S.-based critical minerals technology company building hydrometallurgical and electrochemical processes for metal extraction with low environmental impact. It is a comparable emerging technology challenger in metal extraction and refining.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CuprumCorp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cuprum-corp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Cuprum