EQT Foundation awards more than €1 Million in grants for next-generation critical minerals solutions

EQT Foundation is pleased to announce the recipients of its Critical Minerals Science Grants program, awarding more than EUR 1 million in grants to researchers developing technologies that reduce reliance on constrained and strategically important raw materials in climate technologies. The selected projects span universities and research institutions across Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, and Australia.

The funded projects tackle some of the most significant material bottlenecks facing the energy transition. The cohort includes technologies designed to recover lithium from seawater and industrial waste streams, recycle battery materials and rare earth elements, reduce iridium use in hydrogen electrolysers, and develop next-generation energy systems based on earth-abundant materials. Together, the projects aim to strengthen supply-chain resilience while supporting the long-term scalability of clean-energy technologies.

Cilia Holmes Indahl, CEO of EQT Foundation, commented: “The green transition has a materials problem. Too many clean technologies depend on a handful of critical minerals, mined under dangerous, exploitative conditions, often invisible to the consumers plugging in their electric cars. Supply chains are fragile, concentrated in too few places, and immature recycling practices mean most of these materials end up in landfill instead of back in the system. The researchers we’re backing are working on the hard science to change that, rethinking clean technologies from the ground up. At EQT Foundation, we believe supporting entrepreneurial scientists at the earliest stages will be critical to building the next generation of globally impactful climate and health technologies.”

Selected grantees include:

The grants are part of EQT Foundation’s broader Science program, which supports entrepreneurial scientists working on breakthrough climate and health solutions at the earliest stages of development. In addition to funding, grantees receive access to commercialization support and EQT’s global network to help accelerate the path from scientific discovery to real-world impact. The program is designed to help more high-potential scientific breakthroughs progress beyond academia and toward scalable deployment.
 

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About EQT
EQT is a purpose-driven global investment organization with EUR 269 billion in total assets under management (EUR 142 billion in fee-generating assets under management) as of 31 March 2026, within two business segments – Private Capital and Real Assets. EQT owns portfolio companies and assets in Europe, Asia Pacific and the Americas and supports them in achieving sustainable growth, operational excellence and market leadership.

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About EQT Foundation
EQT Foundation is a philanthropic organization and long-term shareholder of the global investment organization EQT, founded by partners at EQT. The Foundation supports scientists and entrepreneurs bringing breakthrough solutions from lab to market, combining EQT’s expertise with catalytic investments and grants. With a focus on supporting scientific progress in underfunded areas of climate and health, the Foundation provides a learning platform for EQT employees to develop and work collaboratively across the globe, while engaging in philanthropy and making a positive impact.

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