US-backed mining firm unveils world’s largest lithium exploration campaign in DRC

A US-backed mining firm, KoBold Metals, has launched what it describes as the world’s largest lithium exploration campaign in the Democratic Republic of Congo, marking a major shift in how mineral discovery is conducted across the continent.

• KoBold Metals has launched the world's largest lithium exploration campaign in the Democratic Republic of Congo, covering over 3,000 square kilometres and expected to expand further.
• The initiative uses advanced technologies including AI-driven systems, hyperspectral aerial imaging, and a rapid on-site laboratory to accelerate mineral discovery.
• The campaign focuses on the Manono region, newly recognised as a major lithium hub, and aims to identify further untapped deposits across the country.
• A $50 million investment supports large-scale airborne surveys and thousands of samples and drill targets by early 2027.

The initiative spans 13 exploration licences covering more than 3,000 square kilometres, with plans to expand to 5,000 square kilometres by year-end.

The program will deploy advanced technologies including proprietary aerial sensors, real-time AI-driven targeting systems, and an on-site laboratory designed to dramatically reduce the time between sample collection and analysis.

KoBold CEO Kurt House said the scale and speed of the rollout highlights both the company’s ambition and growing US–DRC cooperation. “A year ago, KoBold had no employees and no land in the DRC. Today we are the largest American investor in the country,” he said.

AI-driven exploration reshapes mineral discovery

The campaign centres on the mineral-rich Manono region, long known for tin deposits but only recently recognised as a major lithium hub.

KoBold, backed by billionaires Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, believes the area is just one of several untapped deposits across the country, with its internal models ranking the DRC among the most promising yet underexplored regions globally.

At the core of the program is KoBold’s “Hyperpod” aerial system, capable of mapping vast areas using hyperspectral imaging, LiDAR and radiometric sensors, alongside a mobile “MetaLab” that processes samples on-site within days rather than weeks.

The company also plans to deploy airborne gravity gradiometry technology, pending US export approval.

The effort includes a 30,000-square-kilometre airborne survey, thousands of drill targets, and more than 30,000 geochemical samples, backed by over $50 million in investment by early 2027.

The company has already paid more than $20 million to Congo's treasury, making it ‌the ⁠largest new exploration investor in the central African nation in recent years, KoBold chief executive Kurt House said.

KoBold’s DRC director Benjamin Katabuka said the project represents a new model for collaboration. “What we are building here is a model for how American technology and Congolese talent can work together to create something the world needs,” he said.

The campaign highlights the DRC’s growing role in the global race for critical minerals, particularly lithium, as demand surges for energy transition technologies.