Singapore-based deep tech startup Atomionics has raised $12.7 million in a Pre-Series A round to speed up the development and scaling of its quantum gravimetry sensors, which are used for finding mineral resources.
The funding round was led by Paspalis and included a mix of strategic investors such as BHP Ventures, In-Q-Tel, Wavemaker Partners, VU Venture Partners, SG Growth Capital, and Alex Turnbull.
In Australia, Atomionics plans to expand across the country with support from Paspalis, setting up an office and strengthening its operations nationwide.
The funding will support Atomionics’s global expansion plans. In Australia, the company aims to grow nationwide with help from Paspalis, setting up an office and strengthening its capabilities.
Early deployments and testing are already happening in Australia’s Northern Territory, an area with great potential for critical minerals that is still largely unexplored.
At the same time, Atomionics will open an office in the U.S. to grow its operations in North America. The company will focus on resource exploration and explore dual-use applications for both commercial and defense sectors.
With support from investors like In-Q-Tel, Atomionics plans to work on national security and strategic resource projects, strengthening partnerships with both commercial companies and government agencies.
Sahil Tapiawala, CEO and co-founder of Atomionics, said. “The strategic capital from investors with an interest in both Australia and North America gives us a way to accelerate the deployment of our quantum gravity sensors.”
“We will further use this capital to use quantum sensors to help find copper, lithium and other critical minerals, providing the mining and energy industries with an unprecedented ability to locate and assess resources sustainably. High-quality data is the foundation for AI-powered decision-making, and our sensors have the potential to acquire the most detailed gravity datasets ever collected,” Tapiawala added.
Atomionics’s main innovation is its Gravio device, a portable sensor about the size of a basketball. It works like a “virtual X-ray” for the earth, using quantum gravimetry to map the ground much faster than traditional methods—up to ten times quicker.
By combining ultra-sensitive quantum sensors with AI-powered analysis, Gravio can see what’s beneath the surface without digging or using any electromagnetic radiation.
The technology behind Gravio, called “cold atom interferometry,” is a highly advanced scientific method usually used in atomic physics labs to detect things like black holes and gravitational waves. Gravio brings this complex science into a small, portable device that can be used in the field.
The Gravio device can greatly improve efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of resource exploration. Traditional methods are labour-heavy and often produce low-resolution maps, where one pixel can cover an area as large as a football field, and drilling only has about 10% accuracy.
In contrast, Gravio can create maps with much higher precision, with a resolution similar to the size of a couple of pizza boxes, making exploration far more accurate and reliable.
Gravio detects the unique gravity patterns of different underground materials, like dense metal ores. This allows it to identify important minerals such as lithium, copper, cobalt, and nickel, which are essential for electric vehicles and modern technologies.
This approach helps make resource exploration more precise and environmentally friendly, moving away from harmful trial-and-error methods.
Read more- LDUN Raises $4.8 million to Grow Factoring Solutions for SMEs
