Hertha Metals

The firm has developed a single-step process to convert low-grade iron ore directly into crude steel or high-purity iron. This technology is designed to address the steel industry's significant carbon footprint, which accounts for nearly 10% of global CO2 emissions. Hertha's process reportedly reduces energy consumption by 30% and carbon emissions by at least 50%, with the potential for up to 98% reduction when powered by clean hydrogen. A key feature is its ability to utilize previously unusable domestic ores and mine waste, which can lower input costs.

Hertha Metals operates in the heavy industry and clean technology markets, serving steel producers and end-consumers. The business model centers on providing this technology to new and existing steel mills. Its modular design allows for profitable operation at smaller scales, such as 500,000 tonnes per year, a significant departure from conventional steelmaking that requires multi-million tonne outputs to be profitable. Since late 2024, the company has been running a pilot plant in Conroe, Texas, with a one-tonne daily capacity. By July 2025, the company had raised over $17 million in funding from investors including Khosla Ventures, Breakthrough Energy Fellows, Pear VC, and Clean Energy Ventures to build and demonstrate this pilot plant. The next planned phase is to scale production to 500,000 tonnes per year.