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In This Episode:

* Why critical minerals are at the heart of national security, energy transition, and AI-driven infrastructure.

* A deep dive into the U.S. critical mineral supply chain—where we lost ground and how we can regain self-sufficiency.

* The biggest entrepreneurial opportunities in the critical mineral space—from waste-to-value startups to reshoring production.

* How capital markets are evolving to support mineral projects outside of China and the key factors investors look for.

* The impact of tariffs, trade policy, and geopolitical tensions on mineral supply and innovation.

Have you filled out our Subscriber Survey yet? We’ve put in thousands of hours to create this project — won’t you spare 5 min to help us make the show even better?

We’re doing something a bit different…🤔

We’re exploring the urgent and evolving landscape of critical minerals with Nicholaus Rohleder from Climate Commodities. Nick, an investor and expert in the field, breaks down how the U.S. went from a leader in mineral production to heavy reliance on foreign sources—and why the time is now for entrepreneurs to help rebuild domestic supply chains.

Key Topics Covered:

* The Rise and Fall of U.S. Mineral Production: A historical perspective on how the U.S. lost its dominance in the metals and mining industry and why environmental regulations, labor costs, and capital market shifts played a major role.

* Why Critical Minerals Matter More Than Ever: The convergence of three mega-trends—energy transition, national defense, and AI infrastructure—is driving unprecedented demand for minerals like nickel, tungsten, gallium, lithium, and fluorospar.

* Opportunities for Entrepreneurs: Where to build in the value chain, why waste-to-value startups have a major advantage, and how to navigate project financing in the critical mineral space.

* The Capital Market Shift: Why Western investors are finally paying attention to mineral security, the barriers to financing mining projects, and how startups can position themselves for success.

* U.S. Trade Policy and Tariffs: How the Trump administration’s focus on national security and reshoring could impact domestic production and investment in minerals.

* The Future of Clean Minerals: Will other countries buy cleaner, more expensive minerals from the U.S., or will cost pressures drive continued reliance on China?

* Mistakes Founders Make: The biggest pitfalls in critical mineral startups—from failing to understand financing structures to relying on speculative price spikes.

Nick teaches a class on this at UPenn, so this is serious value ($$$) — if you’re a investor, policymaker, or entrepreneur looking to understand the critical minerals space, this is for you.

Don’t miss a moment! If you want to get the full discussion, become a paid subscriber today or redeem your trial upgrade to test it out.

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📝 Show Notes:

Topics

* 01:23 Landscape of Critical Minerals

* 05:06 Historical Context of U.S. Mineral Production

* 09:53 Talent and Knowledge Gaps in the Industry

* 12:10 The Need for Domestic Production

* 20:30 The Key Minerals

* 28:51 Opportunities in the Critical Minerals Value Chain

* 34:32 Technological Innovations and Local Production

* 43:05 Cost Dynamics

[Paywall Begins]

* 44:04 Building Successful Companies in Critical Minerals

* 46:52 Common Mistakes in the Critical Minerals Sector

* 51:52 Current Trends in Capital Investment

* 55:42 Investment Opportunities

* 56:00 Advice for Start-ups in the Sector

* 57:06 Government Involvement and Policy Implications

Links

* Nicholaus Rohleder | Climate Commodities

* Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn

* Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn

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