COMET Strategy

What COMET Strategy does

COMET Strategy (Comet Strategy PTY LTD) is an Australia-based mining technology firm founded in 2000 and headquartered in Queensland that develops and commercializes mine planning optimization software and delivers specialized training and consulting services to the global mining sector. The company operates with a small team (1–10 employees) and addresses production scheduling and economic optimization across the mining value chain for Tier 1 mining enterprises.

The company's flagship product is Optimal Scheduler, a mathematical optimization platform built in C++ that mine planners use to model and improve production schedules. The underlying methodology draws on the foundational work of Ken Lane, a recognized contributor to mine optimization theory, and the technical team includes Dr Brett King as a Director. The C++-based architecture indicates a focus on computational performance for solving complex scheduling problems rather than reliance on AI/ML techniques. In 2018, the firm extended into training workflows with advanced analytics tools for mine economic training.

COMET's revenue model combines software licensing of Optimal Scheduler with fees from training programs and consulting engagements. The company serves a concentrated set of major mining clients, including Anglo American, Rio Tinto, Glencore, Antofagasta, Grupo Mexico, Fortescue, Antamina, Codelco, BHP, and MMG. The business has remained privately held without disclosed external funding and executed a 2025 international expansion as its most recent growth signal.

Name

COMET Strategy

Legal name

Comet Strategy PTY LTD

Website

https://cometstrategy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

COMET Strategy is an Australia-based mining technology company that develops mine planning optimization software (Optimal Scheduler) and provides specialized training and consulting to global Tier 1 mining enterprises including BHP, Rio Tinto, and Anglo American.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Carmila West

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Software Licensing - Optimal Scheduler: Sale and licensing of the Optimal Scheduler mine planning optimization software. The software is offered through license requests via website contact forms, with support and technical assistance included.
2. Training Services: Progression of training opportunities including Foundation Training (5 days), Advanced Training (1-2 days), and Application Workshops (1-2 weeks using participant's own data). Training pairs specialized economic insights with investment in human capability.
3. Consulting Services: Direct project delivery, mentoring, model development, project problem-solving, and strategic guidance. Can range from short support calls to weeks or months of involvement. Initial model-building effort may take roughly a month of consulting time.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

COMET Strategy develops and licenses the Optimal Scheduler, a C++ based mine planning optimization software that holistically models long-term mine complexity to deliver true NPV optimization. The company complements the software with a structured training progression (Foundation, Advanced, Application Workshops) and tailored consulting engagements for mining industry clients.

Product overview

COMET Strategy offers a unified product portfolio centered on the Optimal Scheduler software, a mine planning optimization tool designed for holistic mine complexity optimization. The company provides a structured training progression comprising Foundation Training, Advanced Training, and Application Workshops, alongside consulting services for direct project delivery and mentoring. The software supports multiple mining operations and offers capabilities including long-term scheduling, variable cut-off grades, integrated open pit and underground mining, stockpiling, simultaneous processing, and multiple mining project management. Training services are delivered in partnership with vetted industry professionals globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Optimal Scheduler C++ based mine planning optimization software embodying correct economic principles for holistic optimization of long-term mine complexity. Enables simultaneous optimization of interacting policies, constraints, and changing conditions across project life for true NPV-driven decisions. Used by multi-mine and single-mine operators, individual planners, and consulting firms globally.
• Foundation Training Entry-level 5-day training program covering strategic mine planning fundamentals, where Optimal Scheduler sits in the workflow, and how to use an existing Optimal Scheduler model correctly. Delivered using standard COMET data with handbook or PDF reference. Aimed at new users and professionals who interpret or act on planner outputs.
• Advanced Training 1-2 day next-stage training for users already working in Optimal Scheduler, building deeper capability in complex modelling, custom functions, feature interaction, and specialised applications. Designed for users with Foundation Training or equivalent operating experience.
• Application Workshops Project-based 1-2 week workshops applying Optimal Scheduler directly to participants' own mine data, models, and planning objectives. Duration depends on data readiness; only one company is present per workshop to preserve data confidentiality.
• Consulting Services Tailored consulting engagements extending beyond training into direct project delivery, mentoring, model development, project problem-solving, and strategic guidance. Delivered in person or remotely, ranging from short support calls to weeks or months of involvement, with initial model-building efforts often spanning roughly a month.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30% increase in planning accuracy
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Key Industry Players (Strategic Alliance)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Established a strategic alliance with key industry players in 2010 to enhance service offerings and market reach. This partnership was a significant milestone in the company's development, expanding COMET Strategy's presence in the mining technology and consulting sector.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• Hexagon Mining: Hexagon's mining division bundles surveying, fleet management, and mine planning (via Datamine and MinePlan) into an enterprise suite — comparable capability to COMET's long-term scheduling but delivered as part of a broad capital-intensive platform.
• GEOVIA (Dassault Systèmes): GEOVIA's Surpac, MineSched, and Whittle (historically) address geological modeling, mine planning, and scheduling inside Dassault's broader 3DEXPERIENCE platform — overlapping with COMET's scheduling and optimization capabilities but as part of a much wider enterprise portfolio.

Direct peers

• Datamine (Hexagon Mining): Datamine (Studio NPVS, MineSched, EPS) provides strategic and operational mine planning software acquired by Hexagon, widely deployed across the same mining majors as COMET's Optimal Scheduler.
• Minemax: Minemax provides strategic mine planning and scheduling software (Scheduler, Strategist) focused on NPV optimization and scenario analysis — overlapping directly with COMET's simultaneous optimization and long-term scheduling capabilities.
• Maptek: Maptek offers Vulcan and other mine planning and geological modeling tools widely used by the same enterprise mining majors COMET serves, including long-term scheduling and pit optimization features.
• RPMGlobal: RPMGlobal delivers mining software and consulting, including the Xpac and Sequencer long-term scheduling products — a closely comparable mine planning optimization competitor with adjacent consulting services.
• Whittle Consulting: Whittle is the most direct competitor to COMET's Optimal Scheduler, specializing in strategic mine planning and Whittle Pro software for integrated NPV optimization across long-life mining operations — same niche buyer (mining strategy teams) and same economic-optimization positioning.
• Micromine: Micromine offers end-to-end mine planning software (Micromine, Pitram) used by exploration and mining companies globally for resource estimation, scheduling, and optimization — serving the same enterprise mining buyer as COMET.
• Deswik (Sandvik): Deswik provides mine planning, scheduling, and geological modeling software (now part of Sandvik) used by major miners for long-term and operational scheduling — directly comparable to Optimal Scheduler's strategic scheduling focus.

Emerging players

• MineLens / RungePincockMinarco (now part of Carlyle Group portfolio): Independent mine planning consultancies and boutique optimization specialists (e.g., Xtract, RPM consulting arms) compete with COMET's consulting and Application Workshop offerings for the same mining-major strategic planning budgets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/COMETStrategy
• Facebookfacebook.com/cometstrategy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cometstrategy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 COMET Strategy