Award & Investment Overview
Supra Elemental Recovery Inc., a spinout from The University of Texas at Austin, has launched with a $250,000 pre-seed investment from the university’s Discovery to Impact Seed Fund to commercialize a novel platform for recovering high-purity critical minerals from industrial byproducts, mine tailings, and electronic waste.
The investment supports early validation and scaling of a 3D-printed, reusable filtration technology that targets minerals such as gallium and scandium, which are essential for semiconductor, aerospace, energy, defense, and communications supply chains. This funding signals confidence in the startup’s potential to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign refining and strengthen domestic supply chain resilience.
Approach & Ecosystem Context
Supra was formed out of engineering, chemistry, and materials science research conducted at UT Austin, with key contributions from faculty and inventors across labs specializing in supramolecular chemistry, nanomanufacturing, and fluid dynamics. Discovery to Impact’s Seed Fund supports campus entrepreneurs by providing early capital, mentoring, and commercialization resources that help bridge research discoveries to commercial ventures.
By investing at the pre-seed stage, UT Austin is enabling Supra to move toward prototype refinement, industry engagement, and pilot deployments that align technical performance with market needs in critical mineral recovery.
Innovation & Technology
Supra’s proprietary technology uses advanced chemistry and engineered porous cartridges to selectively capture and release valuable elements such as gallium and scandium from waste streams, including industrial effluent and electronic scrap. The platform combines aspects of solvent extraction and ion exchange into a modular, reusable system that promises improved selectivity, scalability, and environmental performance.
The startup’s technology integrates materials science, fluid dynamics, and process engineering to offer a commercially viable alternative to traditional refining methods, which are often energy-intensive and environmentally harmful.
Potential Market Applications
• Critical mineral supply chain solutions: Provide domestic recovery of rare earth and specialty metals such as gallium and scandium to support semiconductor and advanced manufacturing industries with secure, high-purity feedstocks.
• Industrial and electronic waste valorization: Deploy scalable recovery systems at mine tailings sites, industrial byproducts, and e-waste recycling facilities to unlock valuable minerals trapped in legacy waste.
• Environmental and clean tech applications: Offer an environmentally friendlier alternative to conventional mineral refinement, reducing toxic chemical use and lowering the carbon footprint associated with supply chain inputs.
Read the Full Story:
https://news.utexas.edu/2026/02/04/ut-startup-to-recover-rare-earth-minerals-from-industrial-and-e-waste-strengthen-u-s-supply-chain/
