In 2017, the co-founders, Ali Haji and Matthew Wood, identified an opportunity for lithium exploration and development while on a trip to Mongolia for another mining entity. They recognized that our world was on the brink of a Green Revolution, and that the move away from fossil fuels would create unprecedented demand for battery metals, including lithium. Ali and Matthew started discussions with the Mongolian government about the potential for lithium in-country – and the vision for ION Energy was born!

The first asset was a license in the arid and infrastructure rich region of the South Gobi Desert, just 24km from the Chinese border. The Baavhai Uul Lithium Brine license was acquired in 2019, and since then the ION Energy team has pursued an aggressive growth strategy.