Supra Elemental Recovery, Inc.

Cover Block

Metric	Value
Name	Supra Elemental Recovery, Inc.
Tagline	3D-printed nanoporous cartridges recover critical minerals from industrial waste.
Founded	2025
Stage	Pre-Seed
Business Model	B2B
Industry	Cleantech / Climatetech
Technology	Hardware
Geography	North America
Growth Profile	Venture Scale
Founding Team	Academic Spinout
Funding Label	Pre-seed (total disclosed ~$2,000,000)

Links

• Website: https://getsupra.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/supra-elemental-recovery-inc/
• X / Twitter: https://x.com/getsupra

What an Investor Needs First

Supra Elemental Recovery is a hardware spinout from the University of Texas at Austin that is developing a modular, 3D-printed system to extract high-purity critical minerals from industrial waste streams [UT Austin News, Feb 2026]. The company targets a pressing national security and economic challenge: securing a domestic supply of minerals like gallium and scandium, which are essential for semiconductors, defense systems, and renewable energy technologies [ChargedEVs, Early 2026].

Founded in 2025, the company's core technology uses proprietary supramolecular receptors embedded in nanoporous cartridges, which it claims offer superior selectivity for target metals compared to conventional solvent extraction methods [Perplexity Sonar PRO BRIEF, 2026]. CEO Katie Ullmann Durham brings a climate tech investor and operator background, while co-founder Jordan Sessler contributes legal and operational experience [Crunchbase] [Resource Recycling, Feb 3, 2026].

The company closed an oversubscribed $2,000,000 pre-seed round in early 2026, led by Crucible Capital with participation from UT Seed Fund, Climate Capital, Portmanteau Ventures, and the Pew Protection Trust [ChargedEVs, Early 2026]. Its business model is B2B, targeting manufacturers and mining operators. Over the next 12-18 months, the critical milestones are the launch of its first commercial pilots, scheduled for later in 2026, and the subsequent validation of its performance and unit economics at scale.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Key facts like the spinout and funding round are confirmed by multiple sources, but some product performance claims and team details rely on single-source reporting.

Inside the Company

Supra Elemental Recovery, Inc. was founded in 2025 as a spinout from the University of Texas at Austin [UT Austin News, Feb 2026] [Resource Recycling, Feb 2026]. The company's legal entity name is confirmed via its F6S and Crunchbase profiles [F6S] [Crunchbase]. The founding narrative centers on translating academic research on supramolecular chemistry into a commercial hardware solution for critical mineral recovery [Interesting Engineering, Early 2026].

Key milestones are concentrated in early 2026. The company publicly launched in February 2026, announcing its focus on recovering high-purity gallium and scandium from domestic waste streams [Metal.com, Feb 2026] [FinancialContent, Feb 2026]. Concurrently, it closed an oversubscribed pre-seed funding round of $2,000,000, led by Crucible Capital with participation from UT Seed Fund, Climate Capital, Portmanteau Ventures, and the Pew Protection Trust [ChargedEVs, Early 2026]. The company has stated that commercial pilots with target customers are expected to commence later in 2026 [ChargedEVs, Early 2026].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Core facts (founding year, spinout status, pre-seed round) are confirmed by multiple independent sources, but some team background details rely on single-source profiles.

Under the Hood

The core proposition is a hardware-based separation technology that aims to replace conventional chemical refining with a more precise, modular process. Supra Elemental Recovery's product is a 3D-printed, nanoporous sorbent cartridge designed to selectively capture specific critical minerals from mixed industrial waste streams [Perplexity Sonar PRO BRIEF, 2026]. The company's public materials focus on gallium and scandium, sourced from e-waste, mine tailings, and manufacturing byproducts [ChargedEVs, Early 2026].

The differentiation rests on proprietary supramolecular receptors integrated into the cartridge material. These receptors are engineered to bind target metals with high selectivity, a claim the company frames as enabling "higher purity at lower cost without the toxic processes used in conventional refining" [Perplexity Sonar PRO BRIEF, 2026]. This approach is positioned as an alternative to incumbent methods like solvent extraction and ion exchange. Performance claims, including "up to 100x greater selectivity and speed compared to incumbent refining methods," originate from company statements and have not been independently verified by third-party technical audits [Perplexity Sonar PRO BRIEF, 2026].

Commercialization is in the pre-pilot stage. The company has stated that commercial pilots with target customers, including manufacturers and mining operators, are expected later in 2026 [ChargedEVs, Early 2026].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Product claims are sourced from company statements and early press; technical performance metrics are unverified.

Market Research

The addressable market for critical mineral recovery is defined by the strategic vulnerability of U.S. supply chains. The U.S. Geological Survey identifies gallium and scandium as critical minerals, with 100% of the gallium and a significant portion of the scandium used in the U.S. being imported [USGS, 2023]. The International Energy Agency estimates that demand for critical minerals overall could increase by as much as sixfold by 2040, driven by clean energy technologies [IEA, 2023].

Demand drivers include the rapid expansion of domestic advanced manufacturing, particularly for semiconductors, electric vehicles, and defense systems. Geopolitical tensions and trade policies, including export controls and the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act's sourcing requirements, have created a powerful incentive for onshoring supply. A secondary driver is the growing regulatory and consumer pressure on mining and manufacturing industries to manage waste and reduce environmental liabilities.

Regulatory and macro forces are favorable. Federal initiatives like the Defense Production Act Title III and grants from the Department of Energy are actively funding projects to secure domestic critical mineral supplies. State-level regulations on e-waste disposal are tightening, potentially creating feedstock for recovery operations. The macro force of sustained high commodity prices for critical minerals improves the unit economics of recovery.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Market sizing is inferred from analogous government and energy agency reports; specific TAM for the niche is not publicly quantified.

Competition and Substitutes

Supra Elemental Recovery enters a market defined by established chemical processing incumbents and a growing field of startups targeting the same strategic problem.

• Traditional chemical refiners: Large, integrated firms like Umicore and BASF offer hydrometallurgical recycling services. Their competitive advantage is scale and existing customer relationships. The trade-off is a process often reliant on solvent extraction, which Supra's technology claims to replace with a cleaner, modular alternative [Perplexity Sonar PRO BRIEF, 2026].
• Specialized extraction startups: A wave of venture-backed companies is applying novel chemistry to mineral recovery. Firms like Nth Cycle (electrochemical refining) and Phoenix Tailings (reprocessing mining waste) represent the broader challenger cohort.
• Adjacent substitutes: The most significant competitive threat may be the decision by a potential customer to do nothing, continuing to purchase virgin, often imported, materials.

Supra's defensible edge today rests on its academic IP and its specific focus on low-concentration, high-value minerals like gallium and scandium. The supramolecular receptor chemistry, developed at the University of Texas at Austin, is a technical differentiator that should be protected by patents [UT Austin News, Feb 2026]. This edge is durable only if the company can translate lab-scale selectivity into reliable, cost-effective performance at pilot and then commercial volumes.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Competitive mapping is inferred from industry structure; no direct named competitors were confirmed in public sources.

Opportunity

If the technology performs as described, Supra Elemental Recovery is positioned to capture a material share of the domestic market for critical mineral recovery. The headline opportunity is to become the standard, modular purification unit for US industrial waste streams, displacing legacy solvent extraction and ion exchange systems. The academic spinout provides a foundation in supramolecular chemistry, and the early investor syndicate includes groups like Climate Capital and the Pew Protection Trust [ChargedEVs, Early 2026].

Scenario	What happens	Catalyst	Why it's plausible
Defense Supply Chain Anchor	Supra becomes a designated supplier of high-purity gallium or scandium for defense contractors.	A successful pilot with a major aerospace or semiconductor manufacturer, followed by a Department of Defense grant.	The US government has prioritized securing domestic supplies of critical minerals; the CEO is speaking at energy forums [Rystad Energy, 2026].
Licensed Technology to Miners	The company licenses its cartridge design and chemistry to large mining companies for deployment at mine sites.	A partnership with a major mining operator to co-develop a recovery system for a specific tailings stream.	Mining companies are under pressure to improve resource recovery and reduce environmental liability [Interesting Engineering, Early 2026].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Opportunity framing is based on cited company claims and market context; specific growth scenarios and financial comparables are extrapolated.

Sources

1. [UT Austin News, Feb 2026] UT Startup To Recover Rare Earth Minerals From Industrial and e-Waste | https://news.utexas.edu/2026/02/04/ut-startup-to-recover-rare-earth-minerals-from-industrial-and-e-waste-strengthen-u-s-supply-chain/
2. [ChargedEVs, Early 2026] UT Austin spinout Supra aims to recover gallium, scandium and other critical minerals from waste streams | https://chargedevs.com/newswire/ut-austin-spinout-supra-aims-to-recover-gallium-scandium-and-other-critical-minerals-from-waste-streams/
3. [Crunchbase] Supra Elemental Recovery - Crunchbase | https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/supra-elemental-recovery
4. [Resource Recycling, Feb 3, 2026] UT Austin spinout Supra launches to recover rare earths | https://resource-recycling.com/e-scrap/2026/02/03/ut-austin-spinout-supra-launches-for-rare-earths-recovery/
5. [Interesting Engineering, Early 2026] 3D-printed system recovers rare earth minerals from industrial waste | https://interestingengineering.com/energy/startup-recovers-critical-minerals-from-us-industrial-waste
6. [Metal.com, Feb 2026] US-Based Supra to Launch Gallium and Scandium Recovery Project | https://news.metal.com/es/newscontent/103756016-US-Based-Supra-to-Launch-Gallium-and-Scandium-Recovery-Project
7. [FinancialContent, Feb 2026] Supra Launches to Secure U.S. Supply of Gallium, Scandium, and Other Critical Minerals | https://www.financialcontent.com/article/bizwire-2026-2-3-supra-launch-to-secure-us-supply-of-gallium-scandium-and-other-critical-minerals
8. [F6S] Supra Elemental Recovery, Inc. | https://www.f6s.com/company/supra-elemental-recovery-inc
9. [Rystad Energy, 2026] Washington DC Energy Forum | https://www.rystadenergy.com/events/offline-events/6973--washington-dc-energy-
10. [USGS, 2023] Critical Mineral Resources of the United States,Economic and Environmental Geology and Prospects for Future Supply | https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70202534
11. [IEA, 2023] Critical Minerals Market Review 2023 | https://www.iea.org/reports/critical-minerals-market-review-2023