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Today we have the opportunity to interview one of the most energetic and inspiring people in climate tech. Liz Dennett, the CEO and Founder of Endolith.

If you recognize the name Endolith, it may be because we had Moji Karimi of Cemvita on for episode 200. Endolith recently spun out of Cemvita to form its own independent company.

They are solving a huge problem in the electrification puzzle — copper extraction.

By 2050 we will need more copper than in the history of mankind due to the electrification of industry and developing countries. If we don’t solve this, it could lead to geopolitical conflicts.

Endolith’s technology uses microbes to eat crushed rocks and poop out copper (I mean, I did say explain it to me like I’m 5). They add this to existing mining operations to increase output by ~10%.

Solving this problem will help us get closer to meeting the rising copper demand. And this is a good thing for many reasons. Not the least of which is, as countries gain reliable access to electricity, women and children are the primary beneficiaries. That’s a world I want to work for.

In today’s conversation, we’ll cover:

* The role of copper in electrification

* Her journey to CEO of Endolith

* Why copper could be the thing wars are fought over (not water)

* The innovation behind microbial mining

* The balance between generating hype and focusing on scientific advancements

Let’s dive in. (Full topics at the bottom 👇)

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(PS: if you want to see her adorable dog — go watch on YouTube — SOOO CUTE! 🐶)

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Topics:

* 00:00 The Importance of Coppe

* 02:49 Liz's Journey to Endolith

* 06:06 Microbes and Metal Recovery

* 08:49 Deep Tech Startup Challenges

* 12:11 Spinning-Out of Endolith from Cemvita

* 14:53 The Impact of Copper on Society

* 18:04 Geopolitics and Copper

* 20:57 Electrification and Global Outcomes

* 25:40 Speaking Truth to Power

* 28:26 The Complexities of Clean Energy Access

* 30:44 Areas to Decarbonize Mining

* 32:36 Partnering with Mining Incumbents

* 35:55 Balancing Hype and ‘Doing Science’

* 40:39 The Role of Politics in Green Mining

* 45:11 Recycling & the Future of Minerals

Links

* Liz Dennett | Endolith

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* @Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

* This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.