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

Genomines was built on a simple inversion: instead of moving tons of rock to collect pounds of metal, grow plants that do the concentrating naturally. Co-founders Fabien Koutchekian and Dali Rashid met through Entrepreneur First in Paris, pairing Rashid's plant-biotechnology PhD with Koutchekian's mining-industry background. Their bet was that genetically enhanced hyperaccumulator plants could make phytoextraction — farming metals — economically competitive with conventional mining.

The first-generation plants belong to the Asteraceae family, the same family as daisies and sunflowers, engineered through synthetic biology to grow larger and absorb more nickel from soil. After harvest, the entire biomass is processed with recovery methods adapted to lower emissions, producing a battery-grade concentrate ready for existing supply chains. The company positions this as a process innovation rather than a product one: the metal output must match what refiners and battery makers already buy.

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 participating. Entrepreneur First's portfolio news the same month confirmed proof-of-concept projects with Hyundai Motor Company and Jaguar Land Rover, plus collaborations with refiners, battery makers, and commodity traders. Strategically, as high-grade ore depletes and 60% of world nickel supply concentrates in Indonesia, biological extraction on low-grade land opens supply in new geographies with 1-2 year project timelines.