KoBold Metals, the billionaire-backed scientific exploration company, has launched what it is calling the largest lithium campaign in history in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), committing more than US$50 million ($70 million) by early 2027.
Exploration will span 13 licences over more than 3,000km2, with additional plans to expand to 5,000km2 by the end of 2026, with a focus on the Manono region, where some of the world’s ‘highest-grade’ lithium pegmatites have been identified.
CEO Kurt House said in an interview on 13 April with Bloomberg that the company is kicking off an “extensive and expensive” exploration campaign.
“A year ago, KoBold had no employees and no land in Congo. Today, we are the largest American investor in the country, launching the most ambitious mineral exploration program ever attempted.”
KoBold is deploying proprietary airborne sensors, AI-driven real-time drilling targets, and a mobile lab to fast-track exploration work.
The DRC is already the top cobalt producer globally as well as Africa’s largest supplier of copper but has vast unexplored lithium reserves. The proliferation of critical minerals make it a key player in global supply chains, as identified by the US who established a formal agreement with the government of the DRC in late 2025.
AVZ Minerals is currently in international arbitration over rights to the Manono block, saying that an agreement from July 2025 between the Congolese government and KoBold breaches an existing order.
KoBold Metals is focused on finding the materials of the future using artificial intelligence and human intelligence.
Write to Amy Rotman at Mining.com.au
Images: KoBold Metals
