Found Industries and ARES to test critical metals recovery tech at Utah's Lost Sheep Mine, a key US fluorspar site.

Found Industries and ARES Strategic Mining have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to evaluate Found's resin-free electrochemical Direct Feedstock Extraction technology for recovering gallium, germanium, and other critical metals from the Lost Sheep Mine in Utah, the only permitted fluorspar mine in the US. This collaboration aims to enhance North American supply chains for semiconductors, defense, and energy by potentially producing these strategic metals at industrial scale. The project is supported by Massachusetts' InnovateMass program and could transform the mine into a multi-metal critical materials platform, reducing reliance on foreign sources, especially China. The initial phase will focus on technical evaluation and feasibility studies for future piloting and commercialization.