Over 50 million tonnes of electronic waste (e-waste) was dumped in 2021 – a figure which is expected to double in less than a decade. When disposed of incorrectly (particularly in developing countries) this e-waste can leak harmful toxins, contributing to a growing global health and environmental problem (article here). On top of this, demand for precious and industrial metals is rising, while the majority of supply comes from virgin ore, a resource becoming increasingly scarce.

Mint Innovation, a New Zealand cleantech company, provides a sustainable, long-term solution to this problem by recovering metals from urban waste through its proprietary clean technology (see video below). Mint’s offering reduces reliance on mining while simultaneously providing low-carbon metals to enhance the circular economy. The team led by  Dr Will Barker (Co-Founder and CEO), and Dr Ollie Crush (CTO & Co-founder), has distinguished the offering as the only technology to sustainably recover metals from chips, servers and printed circuit boards (PCBs). In August 2022, Mint launched the world’s first PCB biorefinery in Sydney – a momentous first step towards the company’s vision of having a biorefinery in every major city around the world.

Enterprise Angels first invested in Mint Innovation in 2018 and it is part of  EA Fund 2. It has received strong ongoing support.