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Mariana has raised $85 million in funding as it comes out of stealth.
Chinese companies can commission a new minerals refinery in approximately six months, whereas Western companies typically take two to four years for the same process.
Mariana aims to build 10 mining and refining projects within the next 10 years.
Global lithium production capacity must increase by 4x over the next 10 years to meet the forecasted demand for batteries.
The U.S. Department of Defense recently made a deal with MP Materials that included taking an equity stake in the company.
Indonesia now accounts for approximately 70% of global nickel production, largely due to significant investment from China.
Mariana aims to use Large Language Models (LLMs) to automate workflows, enabling a team of 200 to accomplish work that currently requires 10,000 people in mining project development.
Mariana is developing a software stack called PlantOS, which aims to use AI to automate the control of chemical processing and refining operations, removing humans from the decision-making loop.
Tesla pursued increasing levels of vertical integration because its suppliers were not incentivized to invest, scale, and innovate at the pace the company required.
Large mining companies such as Rio Tinto and BHP often implement less than 50% of the operational recommendations provided by consultants like McKinsey and Palantir.
A recent Chinese-led nickel refining operation in Indonesia mobilized 13,000 workers on-site for its construction and commissioning phases.
The lead time for a new industrial pump for a mine in Australia can be up to 30 weeks, while the same part can be sourced in China within one week.