Chemically similar
Rare earth ions differ only subtly, so conventional processes often need many repeated separation stages.
Advanced separations for critical minerals
Recover more.
Waste less.
REEbound is developing a tunable, bio-inspired polymer platform to make rare earth separation more selective, adaptable, and practical across complex resource streams.
Designed for real streamsFrom dilute recovery to recycled materials
Bio-inspiredProtein-like local environments
ProgrammableFormulations matched to feed chemistry
Scalable by designPolymer synthesis and processing
The challenge
Rare earths are essential. Separating them is exceptionally hard.
Rare earth elements enable permanent magnets, advanced electronics, energy systems, and national-security technologies. Yet their nearly identical chemistry makes recovery and purification costly, chemically intensive, and difficult to adapt to changing feedstocks.
Complex feed streams
Real materials contain competing metals, variable concentrations, and challenging process conditions.
Rigid processes
Fixed separation systems can be difficult to retune as the target element or feed composition changes.
Our platform
We treat separation as a materials-discovery problem.
REEbound combines random heteropolymer science, data-guided formulation, and rapid experimental screening to discover materials matched to specific rare earth targets and operating environments.
Design the chemistry
Computational and data-driven tools prioritize polymer compositions with the right local chemical environments for the target separation.
Build and screen
Rapid synthesis and parallel testing turn a broad formulation space into experimentally validated lead materials.
Match the process
Promising polymers are advanced into usable sorbent and separation formats, then tested in application-relevant streams.
Where it can matter
One discovery engine. Multiple recovery pathways.
The platform is being developed for applications where selective recovery could unlock more value from domestic, recycled, and unconventional resources.
Magnet recycling
Recover high-value rare earths from end-of-life permanent magnets and manufacturing scrap.
Mining and processing
Improve selectivity across mine-adjacent and mineral-processing streams with complex competing chemistries.
Dilute and waste streams
Explore recovery from industrial water, tailings, and other underused sources where conventional approaches struggle.
Scientific foundation
Inspired by how proteins create function.
Random heteropolymers can organize chemically diverse segments into localized, protein-like microenvironments. REEbound is applying that emerging materials paradigm to the difficult problem of critical-mineral separations.
Help us reshape the critical-minerals supply chain.
We’re connecting with resource owners, recyclers, separation experts, research partners, and strategic investors.
Start a conversation