About

BiotaTec is developing and licensing next-generation rapid biomining solutions for critical raw materials (CRMs) from low-grade ores, tailings and wastes. Critical raw materials are vital for the carbon-neutral future, as they are irreplaceable in solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles, and energy-efficient lighting.

Our technology BiotaMet (BM) is a cost-efficient extraction method of critical metals from low grade ores and wastes. Combining novel different steps of bio-treatment in most efficient order, the whole process enables reaching yields as high as 99% quickly, produces neutral wastes and circularizes the use of water and industrial tailings.

Our mission is to develop biomining technologies to help industry to move towards carbon-neutral future and to increase the availability of critical raw materials from local low-grade ores and wastes.
To achieve our mission, we want to become a global leader in providing biomining technologies.

We have biomining center and operational pilot-scale units in Tartu, Estonia, where also most of our experienced 16 people team is situated.

History

Our company formerly known as BiotaP was created already in July 2007 with main focus at developing environment monitoring tools based on metagenomics. For 10 years our ISO 17025 accredited laboratory performed DNA analysis of microorganisms extracted from environmental and medical samples mainly for scientific institutions home and abroad.

In 2010 company started to investigate different possibilities of employing microorganism-based solutions for new innovative bioleaching technologies.

First tests run with local Dictyonema Argillite were promising, and the development of 2-step technology comprising both anaerobic and aerobic bioleaching in stirred tanks continued, resulting with the patent application in 2016. With the Green Deal grant no 101010499 from European Innovation Council in 2020 we are developing our BioMining Centre further and setting up pilot-scale biotreatment unit comprising of 100 L and with 1m3 reactors.

Currently we are developing several novel bioleaching approaches for extracting different metals from low-grade ores and industrial waste streams.

Our ground-breaking solutions are suitable for rapid and efficient valorization in an environmentally-safe way of: