1849 bio
Engineering microbes for miners to unlock billions in trapped metal
Operating in industrials based in San Francisco, CA, USA, 1849 bio operates.
Profile
1849 bio designs microbes enabling cheap metal extraction allowing miners to unlock value from low quality copper and gold ores. Surprisingly, the mining industry is one of the largest scale users of biotech in the world with biomining processes accounting for ~1% of global copper production. Biomining is ultra-low cost, running around ~$1/ton of ore vs ~$7/ton for conventional processes.
Unfortunately, while biomining is cheap, it can’t be applied to over 80% of copper ores, leaving vast resources without profitable extraction methods. An estimated ~$800B of copper sit today in waste materials and stockpiles with negative unit economics.
While a great deal of effort has been spent on optimizing microbial metal extraction processes, very little effort has been spent on optimizing the microbes themselves.
To change that, we’re creating new biotech tools and platforms applied directly to the types of biology most relevant to miners. This enables us to develop new microbes and tackle some of the most difficult problems in biomining, unlocking billions in value from unprofitable resources while being more environmentally friendly than conventional processes.
We’re world class microbial engineers. We met while doing our PhDs in synthetic biology, where we spent our time applying and developing the most advanced bioengineering technologies to engineer living cells.
Its activity falls under industrials; the profile below is assembled from public directory data.
The company is recorded as being based in San Francisco, CA, USA.
Its current recorded stage is Summer 2024.
The company reports a headcount in the 3 range.
Directory analysis
1849 bio designs engineered microbes that enable low‑cost extraction of copper and gold from low‑grade ores, aiming to unlock value in waste materials and stockpiles that are currently unprofitable to mine. The company’s biomining approach can reduce extraction costs to around $1 per ton of ore versus $7 per ton for conventional methods, potentially expanding the range of ores that can be processed economically.
Positioning: Operating in the industrial biotechnology sector, 1849 bio targets a niche within the mining industry where biomining is a small but growing segment. Its technology could broaden the range of low‑grade ores that can be processed, but widespread adoption will hinge on scalability and regulatory acceptance.
Note: 1849 bio is a small San Francisco‑based startup with only three employees.
Auto-generated directory analysis from public data · updated 12 Oct 2026. Informational only, not investment advice.
| Sector | Industrials |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | San Francisco, CA, USA |
| Country | USA |
| Employees | 3 |
| Stage | Summer 2024 |
Website: www.1849.bio
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