Mint Innovation
Auckland, NZ · 7 known investors
Find your way into Mint Innovation
2,300 people in our graph share verified history with the Mint Innovation team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
Mint develops a chemistry-based process to recover critical minerals from electronic waste, avoiding high-temperature smelting. Founded in New Zealand, it works with technology manufacturers to supply responsibly sourced critical metals for manufacturing supply chains.
Also known as Mint · Mint Innovation Limited
Founders & leadership
Investors · 7
Funding
SEC filings, press & company announcements- Undisclosed amountSeries CFeb 2023Source ↗
Source: company announcements and press reports — follow each round's link for the claim.
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Mint Innovation is a New Zealand cleantech company that recovers critical and valuable metals from complex electronic waste streams, including printed circuit boards, chips and servers. Rather than high-temperature smelting, Mint uses a hydrometallurgical, low-temperature process combining microbial biotechnology and green chemistry to selectively extract metals such as gold and copper. The company describes its technology as patented and proprietary, and positions the resulting output as closed-loop, traceable "circular metals" that can be returned to domestic manufacturing supply chains.
The company's model is built around modular, city-scale recovery facilities designed to fit into existing urban infrastructure so that e-waste is processed near its point of collection, reducing transport of hazardous material, shortening processing times for recyclers and keeping metal value onshore. Mint also markets the process as a secure asset-disposal route, stating that material is destroyed beyond NSA standards so that no data is recoverable. Its stated vision is a network of metal recovery facilities in major cities worldwide.
Mint operates a commercial-scale prototype facility in Sydney, Australia, opened in 2022 and described as the world's first printed circuit board biorefinery, and is establishing US operations centred on a facility in Longview, Texas. The company has also been associated with a UK lithium-ion battery project partnership.
Founding story
Mint Innovation was founded in 2016 in Auckland, New Zealand by Dr Will Barker and Dr Ollie Crush, two deep tech scientists who saw accumulating e-waste alongside rising demand for responsibly sourced critical minerals as a commercial opportunity. With a small team they began work in a basement lab, developing a way to recover critical minerals from electronic waste using chemistry and biotechnology rather than high-temperature smelting. Barker drew on prior experience at cleantech company LanzaTech.
Business model
Mint builds and operates metal recovery facilities that take in end-of-life electronics and printed circuit board waste from electronics recyclers and asset-disposal customers, processes the material locally, and produces recovered critical and valuable metals. It offers strategic partnerships supplying closed-loop metals and tailored PCB recycling services to manufacturers seeking to strengthen their supply chains.
Sources indicate value is generated from processing e-waste feedstock supplied by recyclers and from the sale of recovered critical and valuable metals back into manufacturing supply chains; specific pricing or contract structures are not detailed.
Traction
Sydney commercial-scale prototype facility operating since 2022, reported as processing thousands of tonnes of circuit boards annually; a secured site for a first US facility in Longview, Texas; a UK lithium-ion battery project partnership valued at £8.1 million; and a reported headcount of about 125 employees. Ongoing backing from Enterprise Angels since 2018 and multiple industry awards and memberships.
Latest developments
In June 2026 Mint named General Robert B. Neller, USMC (Ret.) as a strategic advisor. In July 2026 the company announced that Matt Bedingfield had been named Global CEO and that it was spinning out Linca to sharpen its focus on critical minerals recovery. Earlier, in July 2025, it announced an £8.1 million partnership to accelerate a lithium-ion battery project in the UK, and it has secured a site for its first US e-waste facility in Longview, Texas.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
Mint positions itself as an alternative to traditional smelting for e-waste, in the urban mining and circular economy segment. Investor material describes it as the only technology to sustainably recover metals from chips, servers and printed circuit boards, and its Sydney plant as the world's first PCB biorefinery. Recognition includes selection to the World Economic Forum Technology Pioneers 2023 cohort, runner-up in the 2023 Net-Zero Industries Award (Outstanding Projects category), and finalist placings in the 2023 NZ International Business Awards, the 2023 and 2024 NZ Hi-tech Awards and the 2023 InnovationAus Awards for Excellence. Mint is a member of the REMADE Institute and the Recycled Materials Association (ReMA).
Avoids high-temperature smelting by using low-temperature hydrometallurgy with microbial and green-chemistry steps, which the company says produces lower carbon emissions. Facilities are modular and small enough to sit within existing city infrastructure, enabling processing near the waste source, faster returns for recyclers and retention of metal value onshore, alongside data destruction to institutional standards.
Technology
A hydrometallurgical metal recovery platform that operates at low temperatures, avoiding high-heat smelting. Sources describe specialised microbes that selectively target and extract specific metals, combined with low-cost green chemistry, applied to complex e-waste streams such as printed circuit boards. Facilities are modular and scalable so they can be sized to different cities and structures, and the process is stated to be compliant with institutional data destruction standards.
Go-to-market
Mint works directly with electronics recyclers to secure feedstock and with technology manufacturers and other corporates through strategic partnerships offering closed-loop metals and tailored PCB recycling. It establishes local facilities in target markets, supported by regional business development teams, and pursues partnerships with waste companies and governments as well as community awareness programs.
Electronics and e-waste recyclers (including recyclers in Texas served by the planned Longview facility), technology manufacturers and other industrial buyers of responsibly sourced critical metals, and organisations requiring secure destruction of IP- and data-sensitive assets. The company also runs a "Get eWise" outreach program with local schools and community organisations.
Geography
Headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, where the company was founded in a basement lab. Operates a commercial-scale prototype facility in Sydney, Australia, opened in 2022. Expanding into the United States with a secured site for its first US facility in Longview, Texas, and has announced a UK lithium-ion battery project partnership. Sources also reference announced plans for plants in Europe and North America.
History
After founding in 2016, Mint built an early pilot plant at Outset Ventures in New Zealand to validate its process, and received its first investment from Enterprise Angels in December 2018. In August 2022 it opened a commercial-scale prototype facility in Sydney, described as the world's first printed circuit board biorefinery. In November 2023 LanzaTech founder Sean Simpson joined the board of directors. The company subsequently secured a site for its first US facility, announced a £8.1 million partnership for a UK lithium-ion battery project in July 2025, named General Robert B. Neller, USMC (Ret.) as a strategic advisor in June 2026, and in July 2026 named Matt Bedingfield Global CEO while spinning out Linca to focus on critical minerals recovery.
Risks & controversies
Sources describe scale-up challenges in moving from lab to commercial deployment, including maintaining consistency, reliability and safety of microbial and chemical processes at higher volumes, large capital requirements, and the need to balance R&D spending against proving near-term commercial viability. Angel-investor material carries a standard early-stage investment risk warning.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 9
launches, deals, and filingsMint Innovation named Matt Bedingfield Global CEO and spun out Linca to sharpen its focus on critical minerals recovery.
Mint announced an £8.1 million partnership to accelerate a lithium-ion battery project in the United Kingdom.
Mint Innovation secured a site for its first US e-waste biotechnology facility; the company's US operations page identifies a facility in Longview, Texas serving Texas-based recyclers.
Mint Innovation announced the addition of LanzaTech founder to its board of directors.
Mint was named to the World Economic Forum Technology Pioneers 2023 cohort and was runner up in the 2023 Net-Zero Industries Award, Outstanding Projects category.
Mint launched its first commercial-scale prototype facility in Sydney, Australia, described as the world's first printed circuit board biorefinery.
Enterprise Angels first invested in Mint Innovation in December 2018; the holding sits within EA Fund 2 and has received ongoing support.
Dr Will Barker and Dr Ollie Crush set up with a small team in a basement lab in Auckland, New Zealand to develop metal recovery technology for e-waste.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
In the news
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Mint Innovationmint.bio · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Mint Innovation do?
- Mint Innovation recovers critical and precious metals from electronic waste using low-temperature chemistry instead of smelting.
- Who founded Mint Innovation?
- Mint Innovation was founded by Will Barker, Ollie Crush.
- Who are Mint Innovation's investors?
- Mint Innovation's investors include Arc Angels, Blackbird Ventures, Icehouse Ventures, Movac, WNT Ventures, Enterprise Angels, Liverpool Partners.
- Where is Mint Innovation headquartered?
- Mint Innovation is headquartered in Auckland, NZ.