Genomines bets gene-edited plants farm battery-grade nickel; $45M Series A

Genomines genetically enhances hyperaccumulator plants so they absorb nickel from soil, then harvests and processes the biomass into battery-grade metal — a 'phytomining' alternative to conventional mines.

Gene-enhanced plants can farm battery-grade nickel from low-grade soils cheaper and faster than mines, redrawing where critical metals come from.

Genomines came out of Entrepreneur First in Paris, founded by Fabien Koutchekian (CEO), a mining-industry entrepreneur, and Dali Rashid (CTO), who holds a PhD in plant biotechnology from Paris-Sud University. Rashid saw the potential in plants that naturally absorb high concentrations of metals; Koutchekian saw the commercial value in mining where conventional economics say metal cannot be extracted. Their challenge was proving phytoextraction could be economically viable.

In September 2025 Genomines raised a $45M Series A led by Engine Ventures and Forbion BioEconomy, with Lowercarbon Capital, Wind Capital, and DeepTech & Climate Fonds among the backers. The company was running proof-of-concept projects with Hyundai Motor Company and Jaguar Land Rover and collaborating with refiners, battery manufacturers, and commodity traders. Its first-generation plants grow on low-grade land, and the company says agricultural extraction can cut project timelines to 1-2 years versus the multi-billion-dollar, decade-plus path of conventional mines.

Still operating as of September 2025: funded to scale its plant-based nickel production, with OEM pilots underway and a stated goal of producing metal at competitive cost in new geographies.

The founders combined two rare perspectives — plant biotechnology and mining economics — which is why they saw hyperaccumulators as a business, not a lab curiosity.

Targeting battery-grade nickel, not a niche chemical, meant the output plugs into existing battery supply chains without new buyer behavior.

Agricultural extraction shrinks project timelines from a decade-plus to 1-2 years, turning a capex-heavy industry into a distributed, hedged one.

Automotive proof-of-concept projects with Hyundai and Jaguar Land Rover gave the Series A credibility with downstream demand.

When an industry is bottlenecked by capital and geology, reframe extraction as agriculture: shorter timelines and distributed sites open supply chains incumbents can't reach.

As of September 2025, Genomines had just closed its $45M Series A and was using the capital to scale plant-based nickel production toward commercial operation. It was running proof-of-concept projects with Hyundai Motor Company and Jaguar Land Rover, collaborating with refiners, battery manufacturers, and commodity traders, and aiming to produce battery-grade metal at competitive cost in new geographies. Its thesis: phytomining can redraw critical-metal supply — lower capital intensity, faster timelines, and less geopolitical concentration than conventional mining.