Company to begin AI-driven mineral exploration across Congo.

Backed by some of the most influential investors in American technology, KoBold Metals Company has entered a formal agreement with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to launch a multi-billion-dollar AI-powered mineral exploration initiative, beginning with the Manono lithium deposit and extending across the nation's critical mineral landscape.

Positioned at the center of global efforts to secure energy transition materials, the DRC has drawn heightened interest from nations and companies seeking alternatives to Chinese-controlled supply chains.

Historically viewed through the lens of artisanal cobalt production, the country's broader mineral potential has since attracted high-tech exploration firms and government-aligned investments backed by strategic infrastructure and diplomatic support.

California-based KoBold Metals, which has emerged as a leader in AI-powered mineral exploration since its founding in 2018, is among the companies advancing this shift in DRC.

Supported by investors including Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, and funds linked to Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, the firm has developed proprietary algorithms to analyze geophysical, geochemical, and drilling data at a continental scale.

Refined through early-stage programs in North America and Australia, KoBold extended its exploration methods into Africa as part of a global search for underexplored mineral systems critical to the global energy transition – which naturally brought the DRC into focus, with internal modeling identifying the Manono region as a high-potential lithium corridor warranting further evaluation.

Prompted by modeling results, initial outreach focused on evaluating development pathways at Manono, where unresolved claims and regulatory uncertainty posed early barriers to progress.

Conditions began to shift in early 2025, as mounting diplomatic engagement between Kinshasa and Washington – combined with renewed investor backing – created space for formal negotiations and cleared the way for a national-scale agreement focused on exploration, mapping, and development of the country's broader critical mineral resources.

At DRC's capital, government officials and KoBold executives convened in July to formalize a preliminary exploration accord, with President Félix Tshisekedi present for the signing.

The agreement, executed by Minister of Mines Kizito Pakabomba and KoBold DRC director Benjamin Katabuka, outlined a commitment to digitalize national geological datasets, initiate lithium-focused activity at Manono, and apply AI-enabled prospecting tools across broader mineral-rich regions.

"This partnership opens the door to American investment and aligns with the broader vision of U.S.-Congo collaboration for peace and prosperity," Katabuka said during the ceremony.

Following the signing, KoBold announced plans to apply for exploration permits covering more than 1,600 square kilometers (618 square miles) of Congolese territory – a considerable geographic footprint aimed at mapping lithium, cobalt, nickel, and copper prospects.

As part of the broader agreement, historical geological records housed at the Royal Museum for Central Africa are expected to be digitized and integrated into Congo's national database, a move aimed at increasing transparency and expanding access for potential investors.

Meanwhile, advanced mapping tools developed by KoBold's U.S.-based team will be deployed across Congolese territory to support high-resolution digital surveys of resource-bearing formations, enhancing national exploration readiness and data infrastructure.

As part of its technical strategy, KoBold intends to make data generated from this work accessible to qualified investors, a move expected to bolster transparency and streamline development timelines.

"We're getting, for the U.S., a lot of the mineral rights from the Congo as part of it," U.S. President Donald Trump said during a White House meeting with Congolese and Rwandan officials following the earlier June peace accord that preceded the KoBold deal.

Following the U.S.-brokered peace accord between the DRC and Rwanda, the KoBold partnership has emerged as a focal point of expanded American mineral engagement in Central Africa.

Still at a preliminary stage, the agreement's advancement toward full-scale operations remains dependent not only on regulatory clearance and permitting, but also on meeting civil society demands for transparency, local hiring, and meaningful benefit-sharing as conditions for long-term acceptance and stability.

Against this backdrop, Australia's AVZ Minerals has formally challenged the agreement, citing a breach of an International Centre for Settlement and Investment Disputes (ICSID) tribunal's interim order – specifically concerning Congolese commitments made in January 2024 to recognize AVZ's subsidiary, Dathcom, as the legitimate permit holder for the southern Manono deposit. AVZ argues the KoBold deal violates those terms.

While the DRC government did not immediately respond to AVZ's claim, Reuters reported that Kinshasa has committed to supporting KoBold's acquisition of the Manono tranche known as Roche Dure, effectively naming KoBold as the preferred strategic partner to resolve the longstanding impasse.

These provisions signal a deliberate strategy to shift Manono from a stalled asset into a structured development pathway tied to national data modernization, foreign partnership, and regulatory clarity – all while the DRC works to resolve competing legal claims.