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Genomines, a startup focused on innovative nickel extraction, raised €45 million in September 2025, bringing total funding to €62 million. Founded in 2021 by mining engineer Fabien Koutchekian and biotechnologist Dali Rashid, the company aims to utilize hyperaccumulator plants to extract nickel, which is essential for stainless steel and electric batteries.

These plants, optimized in the lab in Essonne, France, can capture nickel from low-concentration, polluted soils. Genomines operates three pilot fields in Mpumalanga, South Africa, and aims to produce 100,000 tonnes of nickel by 2035.