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BMW i Ventures* announced today an investment in Phoenix Tailings, a inventive metals production company dedicated to creating a zero-waste, zero-emission future. The Series B financing, which was led by Envisioning Partners and included additional participation from Yamaha Motor Ventures and Escape Velocity, will enable Phoenix Tailings to scale its rare earth processing operations to produce ~200 tons of rare earth metals annually. The output can be used in electric motor magnets, batteries, semiconductors,among other applications.
Phoenix Tailings** says it was “founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts to transform how critical metals are produced – metals essential to the technologies that power modern society.” The nascent firm was heavily subsided by U.S. taxpayers via the United States Departments of Energy and Defense, as well as the State of Massachusetts. With the monies, Phoenix Tailings secured initial off-take agreements, validated its technology to process mining waste, and hired a team of workers to make the metals.
“Phoenix Tailings has made a breakthrough that will significantly advance the sustainable refining of rare earth elements – a crucial step forward as many clean energy technologies depend on these critical materials,” said Kasper Sage, Managing Partner, BMW i Ventures. “We’re excited to see how this innovation will reshape global supply chains and contribute to a more sustainable future.”
* AutoInformed on
** Phoenix Tailings
Phoenix Tailings says it is the leading U.S. company focused on refining rare earth metals into the final products essential for magnets used in various components. Through its innovative process, Phoenix Tailings extracts rare earth metals from both traditional ores, and as well as non-traditional feedstocks such as recycled materials, and mining waste – known as “tailings” – without producing toxic byproducts. “This approach allows the company to be cost-competitive with traditional processes currently dominated by China and Russia. By delivering a sustainable and secure supply of rare earth metals, Phoenix Tailings plays a vital role in strengthening the U.S. supply chain for defense manufacturing and meeting the growing demand for these essential materials in commercial industries.
“As our reliance on advanced technology grows, so does our dependence on critical metals—particularly lesser-known materials like rare earth metals,” said Nick Myers, co-founder and CEO of Phoenix Tailings. “From automotive and defense to medical devices, rare earth metals are essential to modern manufacturing. At Phoenix Tailings, we are ensuring the United States can meet this surging demand through processes that are ethical, sustainable, and economically viable.”
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
BMW i Ventures Buys into Phoenix Tailings
Click for more.
BMW i Ventures* announced today an investment in Phoenix Tailings, a inventive metals production company dedicated to creating a zero-waste, zero-emission future. The Series B financing, which was led by Envisioning Partners and included additional participation from Yamaha Motor Ventures and Escape Velocity, will enable Phoenix Tailings to scale its rare earth processing operations to produce ~200 tons of rare earth metals annually. The output can be used in electric motor magnets, batteries, semiconductors,among other applications.
Phoenix Tailings** says it was “founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts to transform how critical metals are produced – metals essential to the technologies that power modern society.” The nascent firm was heavily subsided by U.S. taxpayers via the United States Departments of Energy and Defense, as well as the State of Massachusetts. With the monies, Phoenix Tailings secured initial off-take agreements, validated its technology to process mining waste, and hired a team of workers to make the metals.
“Phoenix Tailings has made a breakthrough that will significantly advance the sustainable refining of rare earth elements – a crucial step forward as many clean energy technologies depend on these critical materials,” said Kasper Sage, Managing Partner, BMW i Ventures. “We’re excited to see how this innovation will reshape global supply chains and contribute to a more sustainable future.”
* AutoInformed on
** Phoenix Tailings
Phoenix Tailings says it is the leading U.S. company focused on refining rare earth metals into the final products essential for magnets used in various components. Through its innovative process, Phoenix Tailings extracts rare earth metals from both traditional ores, and as well as non-traditional feedstocks such as recycled materials, and mining waste – known as “tailings” – without producing toxic byproducts. “This approach allows the company to be cost-competitive with traditional processes currently dominated by China and Russia. By delivering a sustainable and secure supply of rare earth metals, Phoenix Tailings plays a vital role in strengthening the U.S. supply chain for defense manufacturing and meeting the growing demand for these essential materials in commercial industries.
“As our reliance on advanced technology grows, so does our dependence on critical metals—particularly lesser-known materials like rare earth metals,” said Nick Myers, co-founder and CEO of Phoenix Tailings. “From automotive and defense to medical devices, rare earth metals are essential to modern manufacturing. At Phoenix Tailings, we are ensuring the United States can meet this surging demand through processes that are ethical, sustainable, and economically viable.”
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.