Boston Metal is banking on its tech to extract valuable but overlooked metals like niobium and tantalum. With a $75 million injection, the company hopes to prove its molten oxide electrolysis process can make these critical materials more sustainably. The focus shift could help sidestep US funding cuts for industrial decarbonisation.

While their core steel tech aims to cut emissions by 90%, the startup now sees higher margins in metals like vanadium and nickel. Their Brazilian subsidiary is gearing up to produce niobium, tantalum and tin, with plans to roll out a US plant for chromium too.

The Brazil plant’s maiden run faced delays due to a leak from its refractory system. The company had to lay off 71 workers as it restructured but now has the funds to get back on track—and make some serious money in the process.

Seaver Wang of the Breakthrough Institute says this pivot could be key for Boston Metal’s future. ‘Nobody wants a green premium for steel—hence niobium,’ he notes, suggesting higher-value metals might just be their golden ticket to success.