Quantum Critical Metals
Quantum Critical Metals is a Canadian pre-revenue exploration-stage miner developing the first North American primary source of gallium and rubidium extracted from muscovite mica via hydrometallurgy, with four 100%-owned projects in Quebec and BC and a U.S. refining pathway through Nusano.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersVancouver, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Quantum Critical Metals does
Quantum Critical Metals Corp. (TSX.V: LEAP | OTCQB: ATOXF | FSE: 86A1) is a Canadian exploration-stage mineral company developing what it intends to be North America's first primary source of gallium and rubidium extracted directly from muscovite mica — a material the mining industry has historically treated as waste. The company operates four 100%-owned projects across Quebec and British Columbia: the flagship NMX East project (gallium-rubidium-cesium in Quebec's James Bay region, where bench-scale metallurgical testing demonstrated 93% gallium recovery in November 2025), Babine South (high-grade silver epithermal vein system in BC with historic values up to 835 oz/t Ag), Discovery (polymetallic critical minerals in Quebec targeting gallium, rubidium, cesium, tantalum, niobium, and gold), and Prophecy (zinc-germanium in northern BC).
The company's core technical approach centers on hydrometallurgical extraction of gallium, rubidium, cesium, tantalum, niobium, and lithium from muscovite mica using acid baking and leaching — an unconventional feedstock since these metals are conventionally recovered only as byproducts of bauxite or zinc processing. A November 2025 MOU with Nusano establishes a U.S. refining pathway at a Utah facility, and engagement with the University of British Columbia (under David Dreisinger) supports ongoing optimization of the rubidium recovery flowsheet.
Quantum is pre-revenue and pursues a future revenue model based on the sale of refined critical minerals to industrial end-users in semiconductors, 5G, defense, aerospace, and quantum computing applications, supplemented by offtake agreements with government and defense entities. The current go-to-market focuses on regulatory positioning (DIBC membership in the U.S., EU Raw Materials Mechanism acceptance, listing of all targeted metals on Canadian and U.S. critical mineral lists), direct engagement with strategic buyers through conferences (PDAC 2026, CMI Summit 5) and government-led trade missions, and building technical credibility through advisory appointments rather than commercial sales.
Quantum Critical Metals firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Quantum Critical Metals
- Legal name
- Quantum Critical Metals Corp.
- Website
- https://quantumcriticalmetals.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Quantum Critical Metals is a Canadian pre-revenue exploration-stage miner developing the first North American primary source of gallium and rubidium extracted from muscovite mica via hydrometallurgy, with four 100%-owned projects in Quebec and BC and a U.S. refining pathway through Nusano.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Quantum Critical Metals industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Critical Minerals Mining and Refining
- NAICS
- Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing (3314)
- SIC
- Metal Mining (1000), Miscellaneous Metal Ores (1090)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Exploration & Resource Development (Critical Minerals) (IMAKAFAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Critical Minerals Trading, Offtake & Marketing (IMAKAFAJ)
Keywords
Where Quantum Critical Metals is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vancouver
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Quantum Critical Metals business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Critical Minerals Sales: Pre-revenue exploration stage. Once in production, the company will generate revenue through the sale of refined critical minerals (gallium, rubidium, cesium, tantalum, niobium) and silver extracted from its Canadian mining projects, processed through the Nusano refining facility in Utah.
- Project Development and Offtake Agreements: Company is pursuing strategic offtake agreements with industrial buyers, defense contractors, and government entities for future critical mineral production.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Quantum Critical Metals product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Quantum Critical Metals is a Canadian exploration-stage company developing primary sources of gallium, rubidium, cesium, tantalum, and niobium from muscovite mica, a material historically discarded as mine waste. The company holds 100% ownership of four mineral projects across Quebec and British Columbia, with a refining pathway secured through an MOU with Nusano at a Utah facility to produce high-purity critical metals on North American soil. Once in production, revenue will be generated through sales of refined critical minerals to industrial, defense, and government buyers.
Product overview
Quantum Critical Metals is a Canadian critical minerals exploration and development company offering a vertically integrated portfolio of mineral projects and refining services. The core offering centers on developing unconventional sources of critical metals—particularly gallium and rubidium—extracted from muscovite mica, a material historically discarded as mine waste. The company operates through four principal project brands: the flagship NMX East project (gallium-rubidium-cesium in Quebec), the Babine South silver project (high-grade silver in British Columbia), the Discovery polymetallic project (critical minerals in Quebec), and the Prophecy zinc-germanium project (in British Columbia). These exploration assets are paired with a refining pathway through the Nusano partnership, creating an integrated model from Canadian ground to North American-refined high-purity critical metals.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- NMX East Project Flagship gallium-rubidium-cesium critical minerals project located in the James Bay region of Quebec. The project has demonstrated 93% gallium recovery from mica-bearing pegmatites through bench-scale metallurgical testing at NMX East and has received a 121 drill hole permit for systematic exploration. Mineralogical analysis confirms significant enrichment including up to 3,260 g/t Rb, 205 g/t Ga, 51.4 g/t Ta, and 816 g/t Li in mica concentrate.
- Babine South Project High-grade silver project in British Columbia covering 1,108 hectares with historic values up to 835 oz/t Ag (26,000 g/t). Features an epithermal vein system with polymetallic mineralization including silver, lead, zinc, and copper. The project targets industrial silver buyers serving solar photovoltaic, electronics, medical devices, and military system applications.
- Discovery Project Polymetallic critical minerals project in Quebec that expands the company's footprint with targets for gallium, rubidium, cesium, tantalum, niobium, and gold. The project reinforces Quantum's critical metals presence in Quebec alongside the flagship NMX East project.
- Prophecy Zinc Project Germanium-gallium-zinc project in northern British Columbia consisting of seven mineral tenures totaling 4,349 hectares. Features Mississippi Valley-type mineralization with assays returning up to 22,000 ppm zinc. Provides additional exposure to gallium and germanium as critical mineral byproducts alongside zinc.
- Refining Services (Nusano Partnership) Critical minerals refining pathway through MOU with Nusano at its facility in West Valley City, Utah, enabling processing of Canadian-sourced material into high-purity metals on North American soil. Target elements include gallium, rubidium, cesium, antimony, zinc, gadolinium, and rare earths. Nusano's proprietary mass separation platform offers simplified purification without hazardous chemicals or extensive pretreatments.
Quantifiable outcome
- 93% gallium recovery from mica samples in bench-scale testing (November 2025)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Quantum Critical Metals
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Quantum Critical Metals technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Quantum Critical Metals partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.
- University of British Columbia (UBC)coreQuantum engaged UBC to evaluate a hydrometallurgical flowsheet designed to optimize extraction of rubidium while assessing recovery of additional high-value elements including gallium and lithium. Work supervised by David Dreisinger, Chair Emeritus of the Hydrometallurgy Research Chair and recognized expert in critical material recovery.
- European Union Raw Materials MechanismstrategicQuantum accepted into the EU Raw Materials Mechanism under the EU Energy and Raw Materials Platform. Positions company to engage with European investors, industrial partners, and potential offtake counterparties for critical minerals supply chains.
- Critical Minerals Institute (CMI)strategicQuantum is aligned with CMI as part of its broader strategy to collaborate with key industry partners. Tracy Hughes, Founder of CMI, joined Quantum's Board of Directors in June 2026. Company participated in CMI Summit 5 in May 2026.
- Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC)strategicQuantum accepted into the U.S. Defense Industrial Base Consortium in March 2026. DIBC supports resilient U.S. supply chains for national security. Membership provides access to non-dilutive funding, research, prototyping, and teaming opportunities with U.S. government, industry, and academia.
- NusanocoreMOU signed November 2025 establishes Quantum's refining pathway at Nusano's facility in West Valley City, Utah. Quantum will supply material from Canadian projects for processing into high-purity metals. Companies are evaluating a joint refining hub. Target elements include gallium, rubidium, cesium, antimony, zinc, gadolinium, and rare earths. Nusano's proprietary mass separation platform offers simplified purification capable of achieving high purity without hazardous chemicals or extensive pretreatments.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Quantum Critical Metals competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Canada Nickel Company: Toronto-listed critical minerals developer focused on nickel and cobalt in Ontario and Quebec with government and Indigenous engagement. Comparable as a Canadian critical minerals developer pursuing downstream processing and offtake integration with strategic partners.
- Geomega Resources: Quebec-based rare earths processing and recycling developer advancing a hydrometallurgical technology for separation of rare earth elements. Comparable as a Quebec-domiciled critical minerals processor using proprietary hydrometallurgical flowsheets aligned with the same North American supply chain strategy.
- Harfang Exploration: Quebec-based junior exploration company with a critical minerals and gold portfolio. Comparable as a small-cap Quebec exploration company positioning itself within the same Western critical minerals thematic and government-aligned strategy.
- FPX Nickel: British Columbia-based critical nickel developer pursuing downstream processing partnerships and Western-focused supply chains. Comparable as a Canadian junior critical minerals developer with a similar exploration-to-processing vertical integration narrative.
- Brunswick Exploration: Quebec-focused critical minerals explorer primarily advancing lithium and other specialty metals with a similar exploration-to-development model. Comparable as a Quebec-based, exploration-stage critical minerals developer leveraged to the same government policy tailwinds.
- Quebec Innovative Materials Corp. Quebec-domiciled critical minerals and silica developer working on government-aligned mineral assets in the same jurisdiction. Highly comparable as a small-cap, Quebec-based critical minerals junior pursuing similar Western supply chain security positioning.
- RecycLiCo Battery Materials: Critical minerals hydrometallurgical processor focused on lithium-ion battery materials and adjacent critical metals. Comparable in technology (proprietary hydrometallurgical processing) and business model (Western critical mineral processor pursuing similar offtake and downstream partnerships).
Broad incumbents
- Energy Fuels: U.S.-listed North American producer of uranium, vanadium, and rare earths with established U.S. processing infrastructure. Comparable as a broad incumbent North American critical minerals processor that Quantum would aim to supplement with mica-derived gallium and rubidium capacity.
Emerging players
- American Lithium Corp. Western critical minerals (lithium-focused) exploration and development company with assets across North and South America. Comparable as a peer TSX.V-listed critical minerals developer pursuing similar supply chain themes but targeting lithium extraction rather than mica-hosted specialty metals.
- USA Rare Earth / USA Critical Metals Corp: Emerging North American critical minerals developer focused on U.S. domestic supply chain security for rare earths and adjacent specialty metals. Comparable as a peer emerging to consolidate Western critical minerals capacity with strong government/policy alignment.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Quantum Critical Metals social profiles
Digital presenceQuantum Critical Metals financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Quantum Critical Metals leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Quantum Critical Metals funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Quantum Critical Metals M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Quantum Critical Metals
What does Quantum Critical Metals do?
Quantum Critical Metals is a Canadian exploration-stage company developing primary sources of gallium, rubidium, cesium, tantalum, and niobium from muscovite mica, a material historically discarded as mine waste. The company holds 100% ownership of four mineral projects across Quebec and British Columbia, with a refining pathway secured through an MOU with Nusano at a Utah facility to produce high-purity critical metals on North American soil. Once in production, revenue will be generated through sales of refined critical minerals to industrial, defense, and government buyers.
Is Quantum Critical Metals a public or private company?
Quantum Critical Metals is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Quantum Critical Metals founded?
Quantum Critical Metals was founded in 2006. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Quantum Critical Metals based?
Quantum Critical Metals is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Quantum Critical Metals make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Critical Minerals Sales are the primary driver. The others are project Development and Offtake Agreements.
Who are Quantum Critical Metals's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Canada Nickel Company, Geomega Resources, Harfang Exploration, FPX Nickel, Brunswick Exploration, Quebec Innovative Materials Corp. and RecycLiCo Battery Materials. Energy Fuels is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are American Lithium Corp. and USA Rare Earth / USA Critical Metals Corp.
Does Quantum Critical Metals have an API?
No public API is recorded for Quantum Critical Metals.
What industry is Quantum Critical Metals in?
Quantum Critical Metals's product category is Critical Minerals Mining and Refining. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAKAFAL, Exploration & Resource Development (Critical Minerals), with a secondary code of IMAKAFAJ, Critical Minerals Trading, Offtake & Marketing. Its NAICS code is 3314 and its SIC code is 1000.