Mithril Minerals Joined Breakthrough Energy Fellows

The startup is developing a robotic system for seafloor mineral collection that aims to reduce capital costs and impact.

Updated on Sept. 28, 2026 in Materials Science

Isometric editorial illustration of a robotic collector unit and metallic nodules on a sandy seabed, representing deep-sea mineral extraction technology. — Mithril Minerals has joined the 2026 Breakthrough Energy Fellows program to advance its robotic system for low-impact seafloor mineral collection. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Mithril Minerals has been selected for the 2026 Breakthrough Energy Fellows program. The company is currently developing a robotic system designed to collect polymetallic nodules from the deep-sea floor using workboats instead of heavy industrial drillships.

Why it matters

Conventional deep-sea mining methods require billions in capital and face significant environmental scrutiny. This initiative aims to provide an affordable mineral supply chain while minimizing the ecological footprint of seafloor resource extraction.

The startup relies on 10 years of marine engineering experience from co-founder Riva Gulassa. The system utilizes workboats to perform seafloor collection, contrasting with the multi-billion dollar capital requirements of traditional drillship-based mining.

The players

Mithril Minerals

A startup developing robotic, low-impact systems for the collection of deep-sea polymetallic nodules.

Breakthrough Energy Fellows

A program that provides funding and technical guidance to early-stage innovators working on climate-critical technologies.

Anna Scott

Co-founder of Mithril Minerals.

Riva Gulassa

Co-founder of Mithril Minerals with 10 years of professional experience in marine engineering.

The details

Mithril Minerals developed a robotic system that collects polymetallic nodules—mineral-rich deposits found on the ocean floor—by gently sweeping them from the seafloor. By utilizing workboats instead of massive drillships, the system seeks to lower operational costs and reduce environmental disturbance to the seafloor ecosystem. The technology is currently in the research and development phase, with plans to build and test a near-full-scale prototype in the ocean.

2025: Mithril Minerals tested its polymetallic nodule collection system.
2026: Mithril Minerals joined the Breakthrough Energy Fellows program.

The Tech Race

Joining the Breakthrough Energy Fellows program places Mithril Minerals alongside other climate-focused innovators receiving specialized technical guidance. This development follows a pattern of high-capital industries, such as subsea resource extraction, attempting to pivot toward more modular and less invasive operational models.

This technology aims to influence the upstream mineral supply chain used for batteries and other electronics. While the project is currently in the prototype stage, future success could create more sustainable sources for essential industrial materials.

The takeaway

The company is transitioning from initial testing to a near-full-scale oceanic deployment. Watch for the forthcoming third-party environmental validation report to see if the robotic system successfully reduces the seafloor disruption typically associated with deep-sea mining.

What happens next

Mithril Minerals is scheduled to build and test a near-full-scale collector robot in the ocean and will undergo third-party validation of its environmental impact claims.