What Copper Intelligence does

Copper Intelligence Inc. is a Delaware-incorporated, U.S.-listed (OTC: CUAI, formerly AFDG) copper and gold exploration and development company headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, with operational assets concentrated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It emerged from a February 2026 reverse takeover in which African Discovery Group acquired the Butembo Copper/Gold Project in North Kivu and subsequently rebranded and executed a 1:100 reverse stock split effective June 1, 2026. Management is led by Chairman Andrew Stuart Groves, whose prior African mining successes include CAMEC PLC (sold to ENRC for $1B), African Platinum PLC (sold to Impala Platinum for $900mm) and Central African Gold Ltd, alongside Geological Director Aldo Cesano (third-generation DRC operator with 40+ years experience) and senior geologists Richard Rice and Gideon Donkor.

The company's asset base comprises three DRC copper-belt properties: the Butembo Copper/Gold Project, where high-grade channel samples returned up to 24.9% copper from 0.75m and mineralization is confirmed over 400-500m along strike; the Kitungu Exploration Licence PR-15880 (764.55 hectares, ~73km from Lubumbashi), where historical data indicates 18.2 million tonnes at 1.74% Cu and the company's reinterpretation estimates 27 million tonnes at 1.54% Cu with orebodies open on strike and to depth; and the newly acquired Kasenga PR9 concession (758 hectares across nine blocks, potentially adding 2,750m of strike length). A company-operated XY-44 drill rig was mobilized to Butembo in March 2026 to begin exploration drilling. The company is also party to a May 2026 non-binding term sheet with CoTec Holdings Corp. to form a joint venture for processing historical copper tailings in DRC's historical copper districts, with the JV partners targeting non-dilutive capital from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation.

Copper Intelligence is pre-revenue and in active exploration; it does not sell commercial products or services and generates no operating revenue today. Its strategic positioning is centered on the structural copper-supply deficit driven by AI infrastructure, data centers, electrification and U.S. critical-minerals supply-chain policy, articulated through OTC-market investor communications, conference participation (Emerging Growth Conference), media placements (Bloomberg, Rubenstein Public Relations), and alignment with U.S.-DRC economic and investment forums. Future cash flow is expected to derive from copper and gold production across its DRC asset base and, optionally, from tailings-recovery economics via the CoTec JV once permits, scale and DFC financing are secured.

Name

Copper Intelligence

Legal name

Copper Intelligence Inc.

Website

https://copperintelligence.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2026

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Copper Intelligence Inc. is a pre-revenue, U.S.-listed (OTC: CUAI) copper and gold exploration company holding three DRC copper-belt assets — Butembo, Kitungu PR-15880, and Kasenga PR9 — plus a tailings-processing JV with CoTec Holdings, positioning it to supply copper for AI infrastructure, electrification, and U.S. critical-minerals demand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Copper Mining

NAICS

Copper, Nickel, Lead, and Zinc Mining (212230), Gold Ore and Silver Ore Mining (212220)

SIC

Metal Mining (1000), Gold And Silver Ores (1040)

akta.pro primary industry

Copper Exploration & Resource Development (IMAKADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Copper Ore Mining (Open-Pit & Underground) (IMAKADAB), Copper By-Products Recovery (Molybdenum, Gold/Silver, Sulfuric Acid) (IMAKADAH)

Keywords

• Copper exploration
• DRC mining
• Mineral exploration
• Gold mining assets
• Copper tailings processing

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Copper Exploration and Development: Pre-revenue exploration stage company. Revenue will be generated from copper production once exploration and development phases are completed. No established revenue streams currently as company is in active exploration phase.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Copper Intelligence is a copper and gold exploration and development company that acquires, explores, and develops mineral assets in the Democratic Republic of Congo's copper belt. The company holds three exploration projects—Butembo Copper/Gold, Kitungu (PR-15880), and Kasenga PR9—and is pursuing a joint venture with CoTec Holdings for processing historical copper tailings. The company is pre-revenue and currently focused on expanding resource estimates ahead of future production.

Product overview

Copper Intelligence is a copper exploration and production company focused on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), operating as the first stand-alone DRC company publicly traded in the United States. The company's portfolio includes three core exploration assets: the Butembo Copper/Gold Project (high-grade copper near the Ugandan border with assays up to 24.9% copper), the Kitungu Exploration Licence PR-15880 (approximately 27 million tonnes at 1.54% copper endowment), and the newly acquired Kasenga PR9 Concession (758Ha expansion along the Congo copper belt). Additionally, the company participates in a joint venture with CoTec Holdings for processing historical copper tailings in the DRC, leveraging non-dilutive capital for shareholders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Butembo Copper/Gold Project High-grade copper and gold exploration project located in North Kivu province, DRC, near the Ugandan border and the Kilembe copper mine. The project has returned assay results of up to 18% copper from high-grade samples, with intercepts including 24.9% copper from 0.75m and 20.3% copper from 0.50m, confirming copper mineralization starting approximately 1 meter below surface across 400-500 meters along strike.
• Kitungu Exploration Licence PR-15880 Exploration licence in the DRC copper belt covering 764.55 hectares approximately 73km from Lubumbashi. Historical data indicates 18.2 million tonnes of mineralized ore at 1.74% copper; reinterpretation estimates approximately 27 million tonnes at 1.54% copper, with orebodies open on strike and to depth. Preliminary drill results include 82m of combined ore grading at 1.5% copper.
• Kasenga PR9 Exploration Concession Nine-block exploration concession totaling 758 hectares adjacent to the Kisungu license area in the DRC. The blocks are aligned with the interpreted strike of the Kitungu mineralized system, with potential to add 2,750m of strike length if continuity is confirmed along the Congo copper belt.
• DRC Copper Tailings Processing Joint Venture Early-stage exploration joint venture with CoTec Holdings Corp. targeting the processing of historical copper tailings in the DRC's historical copper districts. The JV uses CoTec technologies to enhance the economic potential of tailings sites, with parties targeting non-dilutive funding from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation once sufficient scale is achieved.

Quantifiable outcome

• First stand-alone DRC copper company publicly traded in US
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CoTec Holdings Corp.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 May 2026Non-binding term sheet signed May 6, 2026 to form early-stage exploration joint venture targeting processing of historical copper tailings in DRC's historical copper districts. The JV will use CoTec technologies to enhance economic potential of tailings sites. Parties target signing definitive agreements by Q3 2026.
• Rubenstein Public RelationscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 May 2026RPR announced Copper Intelligence as a new mining client, leading the company's media relations, executive positioning, and visibility across business, trade, and policy audiences.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Glencore: Glencore is one of the world's largest copper and cobalt traders and operators, with material DRC exposure (Mutanda, KCC historically). It is a relevant broad incumbent for understanding copper marketing dynamics and DRC operating environment.
• China Molybdenum (CMOC): CMOC operates the Tenke Fungurume mine in the DRC copper belt and is one of the largest foreign copper-cobalt producers on the Congo copper belt — the same geological setting where Copper Intelligence's Kitungu and Kasenga PR9 licences sit. It is the dominant incumbent benchmark for any U.S.-listed DRC copper story.
• Freeport-McMoRan: Freeport-McMoRan is one of the world's largest publicly traded copper producers (with significant DRC exposure through the Tenke non-operated interest historically) and a major AI/electrification thematic beneficiary. It is the broad incumbent benchmark for valuation and copper-supply thesis.
• Barrick Gold: Barrick Gold operates large gold and copper-gold assets in Africa (including the Kibali mine in DRC). Because Copper Intelligence also has gold exposure (Butembo Copper/Gold project), Barrick is a relevant broader-sector comparable for cross-commodity African mining.
• Eurasian Resources Group (ERG): ERG owns Frontier and Boss Mining in the DRC and is one of the world's largest non-ferrous miners. It is a broad incumbent in the same DRC copper-cobalt space and is the direct counterparty that bought Andrew Groves' CAMEC — making it both a sector peer and a historical relationship benchmark.
• Newmont Corporation: Newmont is the world's largest gold miner and a major copper-gold producer. With Copper Intelligence's Butembo asset being a copper-gold project, Newmont is a broad incumbent reference point for cross-commodity valuation and African operating capability.

Direct peers

• Ivanhoe Mines: Ivanhoe Mines is developing the Kamoa-Kakula and Kipushi copper complexes in the DRC and is the most direct publicly traded comparable for any DRC-focused copper exploration story. Its market valuation provides a benchmark for what a successfully de-risked DRC copper asset can command.
• First Quantum Minerals: First Quantum owns the Sentinel and Kansanshi copper mines in Zambia adjacent to the DRC copper belt and has a long track record of African copper development. It is a comparable mid-cap copper producer whose valuation and project economics are relevant benchmarks for Copper Intelligence's exploration-stage thesis.

Emerging players

• CoTec Holdings: CoTec Holdings is Copper Intelligence's JV partner for the DRC copper tailings processing initiative. While not a competitor, it is a direct operational peer in copper-tailings reprocessing technology and is a relevant comparable for evaluating the joint venture's economics and strategic positioning.
• Contango Holdings: Contango Holdings is a London-listed emerging miner founded and chaired by Andrew Groves — Copper Intelligence's Chairman — making it a direct management-overlap peer and a relevant comparable for the management team's typical project-development and exit playbook.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 Copper Intelligence