Genomines Raises $45M Series A to Redefine Global Metal Extraction with Plant-Based Nickel

• Genomines’ platform produces plant-sourced battery-grade nickel faster, cheaper, and cleaner than traditional methods
• Early partners include Hyundai Motor Group, Jaguar Land Rover and other leading industry players
• $45 million Series A led by Engine Ventures and Forbion BioEconomy, with additional investment from DeepTech & Climate Fonds, Wind, Hyundai Motor Group, Teampact Ventures, Prospect Innovation, Raise Phiture and AlphaTech Investment Group. Existing investors Lowercarbon Capital, Entrepreneurs First, Elemental Impact and Salida B.V. are joining the round, with new capital dedicated to supporting Genomines’ pilot projects in South Africa.

PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Genomines, a company pioneering the future of metal extraction with efficient, plant-based metal farming, today announced it has raised an oversubscribed $45 million Series A. For Genomines, the fundraise signals a structural shift in how the world will source critical metals — away from high-emission mining and toward scalable, regenerative agriculture. The fresh capital follows a $5 million seed round and an additional $12 million secured in non-dilutive funding, including support from BPI France through its i-Demo and Aide au Développement Deeptech (ADD) programs, bringing the company’s total capital to $62 million. The funding will be used to accelerate deployment of Genomines’ solution, which includes the full-scale field demonstrations of nickel production from genetically enhanced plants and securing large commercial offtake contracts with the company's client base.

At the core of Genomines’ platform is a proprietary approach to phytoextraction, where genetically-enhanced “hyperaccumulator” plants absorb and concentrate metals such as nickel from the soil. Once harvested and processed, these plants yield battery-grade metals faster, cheaper, and with a fraction of the emissions of traditional mining. Featured in an April 2025 Nature Biotechnology article and by BCG X, the company's platform has already more than doubled nickel yields and biomass productivity, unlocking battery-grade outputs for proof of concept projects with automakers, including Hyundai Motor Group and Jaguar Land Rover, and progressing in collaborations with refiners, battery manufacturers and commodity traders like Electric Mobility Materials Europe (EMME), and Ocean Partners.

“Our mission is to harness plant biotechnology to extract resources essential for clean energy technology via scalable processes that preserve biodiversity, soil health and human well-being,” said Fabien Koutchekian, co-founder and CEO of Genomines. “Our vision is to create an entirely new industry of plant-based metals. Genomines unlocks a scalable new resource base - we can fundamentally rebalance global mineral supply chains for decades to come.”

Genomines delivers unprecedented agility compared to conventional metal extraction methods, providing the ability to:

• Transform non-productive land into economic assets, operating in areas that are too low-grade to mine traditionally, but too metal rich to farm
• Quickly deploy a farm, operationalizing an asset in 1-2 years versus 12-17 years for traditional nickel mines
• Offer cleaner, more traceable extraction, while maintaining 40-50% lower equipment and operational costs as a result of biomass farming
• Scale modularly, deploying smaller, capital-efficient assets at profitable rates, rather than relying on the large, capex-intensive mines of traditional industry.

“The supply for battery materials is growing increasingly constrained, with our ability to meet demand in the 2030s under significant pressure. Genomines unlocks an entirely new set of resources for battery materials, starting with nickel,” said Michael Kearney, General Partner at Engine Ventures and Genomines Board Member. “Genomines has demonstrated the full value chain of their process and holds the promise to build a more resilient nickel supply chain with the ability to produce across geographies at lower cost than traditional mineral extraction. By genetically enhancing plants to cost-effectively mine nickel, this talented team has the opportunity to fundamentally transform global mineral extraction.”

"Genomines’ technology leverages underutilized assets by extracting nickel from low-concentration soils that don't compete with traditional agriculture. Coupled with a structural cost advantage, Genomines is well equipped to fundamentally change the way we extract critical metals, and do it in a significantly more sustainable manner," said Alex Hoffmann, General Partner at Forbion and Genomines Board Member. "We are excited to be part of the journey and support the team to achieve its ambitious targets."

Genomines is co-founded by Fabien Koutchekian and Dali Rashid, PhD, the company’s CTO. Dr. Rashid holds a PhD in Plant Biotechnology and Genetics, and her research – published in Nature Plants and resulting in a patent on floral sex alteration – laid the foundation for Genomines’ technology. Koutchekian is a second-time deep tech entrepreneur and former entrepreneur in residence at Entrepreneur First, a global accelerator backed by Reid Hoffman, Greylock Partners, Founders Fund, Mosaic Ventures and Lakestar. Koutchekian and Rashid met via the Entrepreneur First program. Collectively, the company’s management team brings decades of mining, project finance, and M&A expertise as well as prior experience scaling agricultural operations across South Africa. It currently employs 23 full time staff, including 6 PhDs dedicated to its R&D programs and a rapidly growing operational team in South Africa.

About Genomines
Founded in 2021, Genomines is pioneering the future of global metal extraction with efficient, plant-based metal farming. While nickel is the first focus, Genomines’ platform is designed for sustainable, cost-effective multi-metal extraction, with the potential to extend to cobalt, rare earth elements, and other critical materials central to the clean energy transition. Recognized under the France 2030 program as a member of the i-Demo initiative and as a member of Station F’s Future 40, Genomines has been publicly endorsed for its critical role in building resilient, low-carbon supply chains.

Genomines Series A was led by Engine Ventures — making its first investment outside of the U.S. — an MIT spinout backing category-defining hard-tech companies such as Commonwealth Fusion Systems, together with Forbion BioEconomy, a leading European growth investor in sustainable bio-based industries. They are joined by DeepTech & Climate Fonds, Wind, Lowercarbon Capital, Entrepreneurs First, Hyundai Motor Group, Teampact Ventures, AlphaTech Investment Group, Prospect Innovation, Raise Phiture, Elemental Impact and Salida B.V.

For more information and to review open job opportunities, visit www.genomines.com or follow the company on LinkedIn.