Enabling the circular economy of sustainable metals production at scale through AI-powered systems to support a net-zero future.

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Innovate UK
Innovate UK
Innovate UK
Innovate UK
Innovate UK

£4,999,475

May 14, 2023

May 15, 2024

**Industry Challenge**

The Clean Energy Transition is creating demand for metals that cannot be fulfilled; current production for graphite, cobalt, vanadium, nickel are inadequate, with more than 66% gap v/s demand \[IMF,2021\]. With exponential increase in demand for metals 'critical' to a Net Zero Future (e.g. demand for lithium and cobalt are expected to rise 540% and 292% respectively by 2030 \[IEA,2020\]), demand is now being turbocharged by energy-security concerns (increased by the Russian invasion of Ukraine) \[McKinsey,2022\].

However, developing mines is a lengthy process---taking a decade or more---presenting challenges, at company and country level. Mining operational realities are:

* Accessible sources are exhausted.
* Declining grades at operating sites threaten mine-site viability.

Lack of short-term supply can be solved by increasing throughput at existing mining/refining sites whilst enabling metal recycling at scale. Currently the UK loses £13.63m/year from waste electricals/batteries due to lack of advanced recovery technologies \[MaterialFocus,2021\], threatening 114k direct automotive jobs linked to gigafactory potential by 2040 \[T&E,2021\].

**Intellisense.io**

IntelliSense.io is an Industrial Artificial Intelligent (AI) SME, focusing on the Base Metals Industry, headquartered in Cambridge, UK. IntelliSense.io is recognised as a leader in the Industry for the Internet-of-Things and Machine-Learning applications (UK National Technology Award: "Artificial Intelligence Solution of 2022''). IntelliSense.io has developed and commercialised 'brains.app', a real-time decision-making platform for the mining and refining industries, containing 6 process-specific mining optimisation applications, significantly increasing yields in comminution and beneficiation processes. brains.app is installed at some of the largest mine-sites in the world.

**IUK Loan Requirement**

Building industrial AI solutions is lengthy, complex and expensive. This combined with long sales cycles, means IntelliSense.io cannot fund the R&D it needs to do now from revenues alone. The IUK Loan will expedite R&D, enabling IntelliSense.io to build:

* Discrete software to further increase throughputs in 2 commercialised applications, by optimising Solvent-Extraction processes and Grinding Circuits. Once complete, sales will be achieved by 'expanding' existing customer accounts to repay the loan.
* A platform solution for the Circular Economy, supporting recyclers to extract high-purity metal concentrates from waste batteries economically (bringing parallel problem solving from mining & minerals processing sectors). This platform will bring together IntelliSense.io's relevant mining & minerals processing platform & applications and adapt them to the similar processes used by recyclers, enabling plant operators to optimise process operations and reducing costs per tonne of battery recycling. IntelliSense.io partners with companies in this space to accelerate route-to-market.