U.S. Critical Materials

What U.S. Critical Materials does

U.S. Critical Materials Corp. is a privately held (Nevada-incorporated) exploration and process-technology company focused on rare earth elements, gallium, and other critical minerals. Its flagship asset is the Sheep Creek deposit in Ravalli County, Montana, independently validated by Activation Labs and Idaho National Laboratory as the highest-grade rare earth deposit in the United States, with TREO grades approaching 9% (~89,932 ppm), combined neodymium-praseodymium concentrations of 2.4%, and gallium averaging 300 ppm (6x typical Chinese production). The company also holds the Lemhi Pass property in Idaho and operates 223 lode claims covering approximately 4,700 acres, with 60+ carbonatite formations identified across the 7,277.5-acre explored area. Critically, average thorium content of approximately 200 ppm sits well below the 500 ppm NRC permitting threshold, materially simplifying the regulatory pathway.

The company's technology stack centers on proprietary processing rather than mining itself: an Electrochemical Extraction and Purification method using an Electrochemical Membrane Reactor (EMR) developed under a Phase II CRADA with Idaho National Laboratory, which consumes only electricity, water, and nitrogen to separate gallium and rare earths from ore. Processing IP is augmented by Colorado School of Mines technologies exclusively licensed through Bayan Mining and Minerals, and by an AI-Powered Mineral Targeting platform from VerAI Discoveries that has been claimed to improve exploration success rates by 100x versus industry benchmarks. The company also runs a two-year 'Mud to Metal' sponsored research program with Columbia University to extract critical metals from red mud (bauxite residue).

U.S. Critical Materials is pre-revenue and does not conduct mining directly; it operates through joint venture entity US Rare Elements Corp. with US Critical Metals Corp. (TSXV: USCM) as a minority earn-in partner and seeks established mining operators or end users to file permits and conduct extraction. Revenue is intended to flow from forward offtake contracts (the first, with REalloys, reserves up to 10% of production for heavy rare earths and NdPr ahead of the January 2027 DFARS deadline), end-user pre-investments by automakers, turbine makers, and defense contractors, and licensing of processing technology to other U.S. and allied-country deposits. First production is targeted for 2H 2026.

Name

U.S. Critical Materials

Legal name

US Critical Materials Corp.

Website

https://uscriticalmaterials.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

U.S. Critical Materials is a privately held rare earth and critical mineral exploration company developing the Sheep Creek deposit in Montana, the highest-grade U.S. REE and gallium resource, and proprietary electrochemical processing technology for defense, clean energy, and semiconductor customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Critical Minerals Mining

NAICS

Support Activities for Mining (2131), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (541360)

SIC

Metal Mining (1000)

akta.pro primary industry

Exploration & Resource Development (Critical Minerals) (IMAKAFAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Rare Earths Mining & Concentrates (REE Ores) (IMAKAFAG), Mine Development & Processing EPC (Critical Minerals) (IMAKAFAM)

Keywords

• Rare earth elements
• Critical minerals mining
• Gallium processing
• Mineral exploration
• Mining development

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Lake City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Offtake Contracts: The company plans to execute forward offtake contracts for rare earth and gallium production ahead of mining operations, targeting defense contractors, EV manufacturers, and renewable energy companies seeking secure domestic supply chains.
2. End User Investments: Due to critical mineral shortages, end users (automakers, turbine makers, defense contractors) are investing at the beginning of the supply chain to secure access to materials.
3. Technology Licensing: Plans to file patents and license proprietary processing technologies (Electrochemical Extraction and Purification) to other deposits in the US and friendly countries.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

U.S. Critical Materials Corp. is a privately held exploration and development company focused on the Sheep Creek rare earth and gallium deposit in Ravalli County, Montana. The company holds 223 lode claims covering approximately 4,700 acres with over 60 carbonatite formations and TREO grades approaching 9%, including 2.4% neodymium-praseodymium and gallium averaging 300 ppm. The company also develops proprietary processing technologies including the Electrochemical Membrane Reactor (EMR) method developed with Idaho National Laboratory, targeting 2026 production to supply critical minerals for defense, EV, renewable energy, and semiconductor end users.

Product overview

U.S. Critical Materials Corp. is a privately held rare earth exploration and development company with strategic holdings in Montana and Idaho. The company operates two core offerings: the flagship Sheep Creek rare earth and gallium deposit (the highest-grade validated deposit in the United States at TREO grades near 9%), and proprietary processing technologies including Electrochemical Extraction and Purification developed with Idaho National Laboratory and Colorado School of Mines technologies licensed through Bayan Mining and Minerals. The company also runs a Mud to Metal research program with Columbia University targeting metal recovery from industrial waste streams. The company positions itself as a domestic supplier of critical minerals for national security and technological innovation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sheep Creek Rare Earth and Gallium Deposit The company's flagship high-grade rare earth and gallium deposit located in Ravalli County, southwestern Montana, covering approximately 4,700 acres across 223 lode claims. Features TREO grades approaching 9% (89,932 ppm), combined neodymium and praseodymium concentrations of 2.4%, gallium concentrations averaging 300 ppm (six times higher than typical Chinese production), and low thorium content averaging 200 ppm (below the 500 ppm NRC threshold). Contains 13 of the critical risk elements defined by the U.S. Geological Survey, including neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, terbium, cerium, europium, gadolinium, lanthanum, niobium, scandium, strontium, gallium, yttrium, and samarium.
• Electrochemical Extraction and Purification Technology Proprietary processing technology developed with Idaho National Laboratory using an Electrochemical Membrane Reactor (EMR) that consumes only electricity, water, and nitrogen to extract gallium and rare earth elements from ore. The technology dramatically reduces chemical and waste generation while lowering costs compared to conventional processing methods, and is planned to be licensed to other deposits in the U.S. and friendly countries.
• Colorado School of Mines Processing Technologies Rare earth processing technologies exclusively licensed through Bayan Mining and Minerals from the Colorado School of Mines, including beneficiating, leaching, and separation processes designed for bastnaesite- and ancylite-hosted rare earth systems. Being evaluated for application at the Sheep Creek deposit with structured metallurgical test programs and laboratory validation.
• Mud to Metal Research Program Two-year research collaboration with Columbia University, led by Professor Greeshma Gadikota, to develop methods for extracting defense-critical metals (gallium, scandium, titanium, and rare earth elements) from red mud—an industrial byproduct of aluminum refining, including Alcoa facility waste streams. The program develops extraction pathways for secondary recovery of critical minerals.
• VerAI AI-Powered Mineral Targeting Platform AI/ML-powered exploration platform deployed under partnership with VerAI Discoveries that analyzes geophysical data to identify high-probability drill targets under covered terrain at Sheep Creek. The technology has identified multiple drill-ready targets on adjacent land with characteristics similar to known mineralization and is reported to increase exploration success rates by 100x compared to industry benchmarks.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9% TREO grades confirmed, highest in the US
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core and supporting.

• Bayan Mining and Minerals Ltd.strategicTechnology or Integration · 13 May 2026Non-binding MOU to evaluate Bayan's exclusively licensed Colorado School of Mines rare earth processing technologies (beneficiating, leaching, separation) on Sheep Creek's bastnaesite- and ancylite-hosted rare earth systems. Structured metallurgical test program with laboratory validation to advance U.S.-based processing pathway. USCM also evaluating potential strategic investment in Bayan.
• Columbia UniversitystrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 April 2026Two-year 'Mud to Metal' sponsored research agreement led by Professor Greeshma Gadikota to develop technologies for recovering gallium, scandium, titanium, and rare earth elements from red mud (bauxite residue), an industrial waste stream from aluminum refining. The program investigates extraction pathways at multiple locations including Alcoa facilities.
• REalloys Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 April 2026Memorandum of understanding securing REalloys access to up to 10% of production from the Sheep Creek deposit, including dysprosium, terbium, yttrium, and NdPr. REalloys is building North America's only integrated heavy rare earth metallization platform to serve defense customers ahead of the January 2027 DFARS deadline.
• VerAI Discoveries Inc.coreTechnology or Integration · 31 July 2024Definitive agreement for AI-powered mineral targeting platform to detect minerals under covered terrain at Sheep Creek. The technology increases exploration success probability by 100x compared to industry benchmarks by analyzing geophysical data to identify drill targets.
• Idaho National Laboratory (INL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2023Phase II Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory through February 2027. INL provides technical leadership in advanced separation science for sustainable rare earth and gallium processing. The partnership focuses on developing the Electrochemical Membrane Reactor technology and other separation methods for carbonatite ore handling.
• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerSheep Creek selected for USGS Earth Mapping Resource Initiative (EMRI). USGS conducted high-resolution aeromagnetic and aero-radiometric survey covering 45,506 line-kilometers. Detailed geologic mapping and geochemical sampling to further define rare earth mineralization.
• Montana Bureau of Mines and GeologysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating on comprehensive investigation of Sheep Creek mineralogy, geochronology, and trace element geochemistry. Conducting detailed district mapping and stream sediment surveys.
• Montana Technological UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMontana Tech team, funded by U.S. Army Research Lab, conducting ongoing research at Sheep Creek. Includes collection of bulk samples and technical studies supporting exploration activities.
• General Stephen TownsendstrategicOthersFormer Army General Stephen Townsend appointed as Senior Advisor to strengthen defense and mineral security. Provides strategic guidance on defense sector engagement and national security priorities.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Texas Mineral Resources Corp. OTC-listed junior miner focused on the Round Top heavy rare earth and critical minerals project in partnership with USA Rare Earth. Direct peer to USCM in the U.S. domestic REE development space with a comparable pre-production, government-supported profile.
• Energy Fuels: NYSE- and TSX-listed U.S. producer of uranium and critical minerals that has built a domestic rare earth processing platform at its White Mesa Mill in Utah. Comparable to USCM as a publicly-listed Western critical minerals company pursuing both mine production and downstream REE separation capabilities.
• Defense Metals: Canada-listed developer of the Wicheeda light rare earth project in British Columbia, with a 2024 PEA and ongoing pre-feasibility work. Direct peer to USCM as a North American pre-production REE developer with comparable customer targets in EV magnets and defense.
• MP Materials: Owner and operator of the Mountain Pass mine in California, the only scaled producing rare earth mine in the United States. Directly comparable to USCM as a domestic REE miner targeting the same defense, EV, and electronics end-markets, and serves as the natural benchmark for U.S. critical mineral supply economics (MP grades ~7-8% TREO vs USCM's ~9%).
• Ucore Rare Metals: Canada-listed company developing the Bokan-Dotson Ridge heavy REE project in Alaska and the proprietary RapidSX™ separation technology. Comparable to USCM as a North American REE developer combining a mine asset with proprietary processing IP, both targeting defense and tech supply chains.
• USA Rare Earth: Private company developing the Round Top heavy rare earth and critical minerals project in Texas in partnership with Texas Mineral Resources. Comparable to USCM as a pre-production U.S. domestic REE developer focused on heavy and light rare earths for defense and clean-energy supply chains.
• Rare Element Resources: U.S.-focused (Wyoming) rare earth developer with the Bear Lodge project containing both light and heavy rare earths. Direct peer to USCM as a pre-production U.S. domestic REE developer pursuing Department of Defense and private-sector offtake for high-purity separated rare earth oxides.

Broad incumbents

• Lynas Rare Earths: Australia-based, ASX-listed largest non-China producer of separated rare earths (Mt Weld mine + Malaysian processing). Comparable to USCM as a Western-aligned REE miner-processor serving the same defense and EV magnet end-markets, but at commercial scale versus USCM's pre-production stage.
• Solvay (now Syensqo): European-headquartered specialty chemicals and advanced materials company with a long-standing rare earth separation and rare earth-based materials franchise. Comparable to USCM as a downstream rare earth processor serving automotive, electronics, and industrial customers, though at established commercial scale.

Regional players

• Arafura Resources: ASX-listed developer of the Nolans NdPr project in central Australia, focused on light rare earths (NdPr) for permanent magnets. Comparable to USCM as a pre-production non-China REE developer targeting EV and wind magnet supply chains, though based in Australia rather than the U.S.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/us-critical-materials

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about U.S. Critical Materials