KoBold Metals, Backed by Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, Begins Largest Lithium Exploration Campaign in Democratic Republic of Congo
KoBold Metals, a mining company backed by US billionaires Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, has launched what it describes as the largest lithium exploration campaign in history across the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The company plans to deploy artificial intelligence and advanced sensor technologies to assess one of the world’s richest yet least-explored regions for critical minerals.
KoBold Metals will initially explore 13 licences covering more than 3,000 square kilometres, with plans to expand operations to 5,000 square kilometres by the end of the year.
The focus will be on the mineral-rich Manono region, where some of the highest-grade lithium pegmatite deposits in the world have been identified, according to the company.
The exploration programme includes approximately 30,000 square kilometres of airborne geophysical surveys, the drilling of thousands of boreholes, and the collection of more than 30,000 geochemical samples.
The initiative is supported by funding exceeding $50 million, with operations planned through early 2027.
“A year ago, KoBold had no employees and no land in the DRC,” Chief Executive Officer Kurt House said in a statement. “Today we are the largest American investor in the country, and we are launching the most ambitious mineral exploration programme ever attempted.”
The campaign highlights strengthening strategic and economic ties between the United States and the Democratic Republic of Congo, while underscoring the country’s growing importance as a frontier for critical minerals.
Despite decades of mining activity, vast portions of the DRC’s geological potential remain largely untapped, particularly for minerals essential to the global energy transition.
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