Five projects selected by the Israel Innovation Authority and Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure’s first Critical Minerals Ideation (Tnufa) Challenge, to develop technologies for real-time mineral detection, supply chain risk forecasting, and rare mineral extraction
The Israel Innovation Authority and the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure announced today the five winners of the first Ideation (Tnufa) Challenge for Critical Minerals, a new initiative designed to harness Israeli deep-tech capabilities to address the growing global challenge of securing critical mineral supplies for the energy, electronics, artificial intelligence, and defense industries.
First place was awarded to Drillzy, which will receive NIS 1 million to develop sensors installed directly on mining drills that generate real-time geological intelligence for locating critical minerals. Four additional projects, SINQ, Sentinel Mineral, Diamonds Magix, and AI TerraMet, will each receive NIS 200,000 to develop and demonstrate the feasibility of technologies spanning mineral extraction, supply chain risk forecasting, and advanced materials.
Dror Bin, CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority: “Within just a few years, critical minerals have evolved from an industrial issue into a strategic and geopolitical one. For Israel, this is an opportunity to bring precisely its strengths to the table: entrepreneurship, deep-tech, and the ability to solve complex technological problems, even without being a mining and natural resources powerhouse. The five projects selected by the Ideation (Tnufa) Challenge represent a step toward strengthening this technological field in Israel, with significant potential in the global market.”
Prof. Brian Rosen, Chief Scientist at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure: “Innovation in the energy sector is essential to providing affordable, secure, and clean electricity. The emerging technologies capable of meeting these needs are dramatically changing the types and quantities of critical minerals required. The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure is very proud to work together with the Israel Innovation Authority to address the technological challenge of supplying critical minerals to Israel. While Israel is not rich in these minerals, we are rich in innovation, technology, and research, which will improve Israel’s global position at every stage of the critical minerals value chain.”
Critical minerals are currently at the center of growing global competition. The world depends on them for a wide range of industries, including artificial intelligence and semiconductors, yet their extraction and processing are concentrated in a limited number of geographic regions. This concentration makes supply chains vulnerable to geopolitical crises, trade restrictions, and sharp price fluctuations.
At the same time, the global transition to clean energy and the rapid development of artificial intelligence and semiconductors are expected to significantly increase demand for critical minerals in the coming decades. Many countries are already working to develop strategies for greater independence and alternative sources of supply. The Israel Innovation Authority and the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure aim to position Israel as a significant technological player in this race by leveraging the comparative advantage of Israeli high-tech to develop breakthrough solutions across the value chain.
This is Israel Innovation Authority’s first Ideation (Tnufa) Challenge, a competitive model designed to encourage the establishment of breakthrough technology projects under the Startup Fund’s Ideation (Tnufa) Program and in collaboration with additional government entities. As part of the challenge, a significant technological or industrial challenge is identified with a large market potential, limited number of active startups, to which entrepreneurs and researchers are invited to propose solutions.
The leading proposals receive funding for development and proof of concept. A unique feature of the program is the opportunity to test a technological idea at an early stage and develop an initial proof of concept (POC), even before establishing a company. This enables entrepreneurs and researchers to explore directions involving relatively high technological risk, with the aim of laying the groundwork for the establishment of new companies and developing an entrepreneurial field in Israel in which the country has the potential to become a significant technological player.
First Place – NIS 1 Million: Drillzy
The Drillzy Project is developing a sensor system attached to drills in critical mineral mines, enabling the generation of real-time digital geological intelligence. The system effectively functions as a miniature field laboratory and is intended for a vast international market.
Second through Fifth Places – NIS 200,000 per Project
SINQ is developing a solution for saturation measurement and forecasting for the extraction of critical minerals from brines, based on a multi-cell sensing capsule combined with a predictive engine and the BrineOS decision-support system.
Diamonds Magix is developing a technological platform for producing nickel with variable porosity, providing electrodes, batteries, capacitors, and fuel cells with improved functional characteristics.
AI TerraMet is developing an integrated approach for extracting a mixture of rare minerals from byproducts of the fertilizer industry. These byproducts represent the world’s largest source of rare minerals after natural deposits, yet economically viable extraction technologies have not yet been developed for them.
Alongside the grants, the five winning projects will receive guidance and support from the Israel Innovation Authority and the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure as they continue developing their proposed solutions. This is part of a joint effort to develop an independent critical minerals technology industry in Israel and strengthen the long-term resilience of supply for the Israeli and global economies.