Chile mines more copper than anywhere. But few pure mining-tech VCs exist here. Most money is mining majors, open-innovation programs, and grants. Here are 12 investors backing Santiago mining-tech startups in 2026.
Chile leads the world in copper, and mining drives the whole economy here. The sector shapes where capital flows and which startups get a hearing.
But few dedicated VCs back mining-tech locally, and Aurus is the main one writing those cheques. Most of the rest of the funding comes from somewhere else entirely.
Mining majors fund the bulk of it, and programs and grants fill the gaps in between. You will end up pitching both funds and miners side by side.
That split makes your materials harder to keep straight across so many parties. Ellty keeps all your data in one link so every investor sees the same room.
| Type | Check size | Sector focus | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurus | Chilean VC (mining-tech) | ~US$1M-$5M | Copper, water, energy tech | aurus.cl |
| BHP Ventures + Xplor | Mining-major CVC (BHP) | Up to US$500K (Xplor) | Critical minerals, exploration | bhp.com |
| SQM Lithium Ventures | Lithium-major CVC (SQM) | ~US$1M-$5M | Lithium, water, batteries | sqmlithium.com |
| Khosla Ventures | Global deep-tech VC | Multi-US$M | Deep tech, climate, hard tech | khoslaventures.com |
| Energy Impact Partners | Global energy VC | Multi-US$M | Energy transition, industrial | energyimpactpartners.com |
| Expande | Open-innovation program (connector) | Contracts, not equity | Mining innovation, full chain | expandemineria.cl |
| Antofagasta Minerals | Mining-major innovation/seed | Seed, pilot funding | Productivity, automation, sensors | antofagasta.co.uk |
| Codelco | State miner open-innovation | Pilots, not equity | Hydromet, water, automation, AI | codelco.com |
| Start-Up Chile | Govt accelerator (grants) | US$15K-$100K, equity-free | Generalist tech | startupchile.org |
| ChileGlobal Ventures | Chilean VC (cleantech-adjacent) | ~US$100K-$5M | Cleantech, software, biotech | chileglobalventures.cl |
| Kayyak Ventures | Chilean VC (climate-adjacent) | ~US$1M-$5M | Climatetech, SaaS, fintech | kayyakventures.com |
| Chrysalis (PUCV) | University incubator | Incubation, not equity | Mining, deep tech, food | chrysalis.cl |
Pitch funds and miners from one link
Mining investors study pilots, costs, and field data closely. Ellty shows who opened your numbers so you follow up first.
Start free 14-day trialWhat a mining-tech investor backs
They want proven pilots at real mines, and field results matter more than slides. A working trial on site tells them more than any projection.
They study cost, water, and energy closely, so the savings you claim must be clear. Vague upside rarely survives that kind of scrutiny.
A clear raise plan helps your case, and strong fundraising traction wins attention. Investors want to see momentum, not just a roadmap.
Ellty gives each investor one link to your materials. You see who opens your data and when, so your follow-ups land at the right moment.
More mining companies want to own multiple smaller assets, since these can be easier to develop and operate.
12 Santiago mining-tech investors
1. Aurus
Aurus runs Chile's lone mining-tech fund.
Recent Activity: Backed copper startup Ceibo's Series B
LinkedIn: Aurus LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Copper, water, energy tech
Stage Focus: Early to growth
Check Size: ~US$1M-$5M
Location: Santiago, Chile
Website: aurus.cl
2. BHP Ventures + Xplor
BHP backs critical-minerals startups.
Recent Activity: Backs copper startup Ceibo; ran 2025 Xplor cohort
Sector Focus: Critical minerals, exploration
Stage Focus: Early to growth
Check Size: Up to US$500K (Xplor)
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Website: bhp.com
3. SQM Lithium Ventures
SQM's fund backs the lithium chain.
Recent Activity: Invested US$1.27M in a water-tech startup
Sector Focus: Lithium, water, batteries
Stage Focus: Series A
Check Size: ~US$1M-$5M
Location: Santiago, Chile
Website: sqmlithium.com
4. Khosla Ventures
Khosla backs hard-tech founders.
Recent Activity: Backs copper startup Ceibo (Santiago)
Sector Focus: Deep tech, climate, hard tech
Stage Focus: Seed to growth
Check Size: Multi-US$M
Location: Menlo Park, USA
Website: khoslaventures.com
5. Energy Impact Partners
EIP backs energy-transition tech.
Recent Activity: Led copper startup Ceibo's US$30M round
Sector Focus: Energy transition, industrial
Stage Focus: Growth
Check Size: Multi-US$M
Location: New York, USA
Website: energyimpactpartners.com
6. Expande
Expande links startups to big miners.
Recent Activity: Brokered 180+ supplier-miner contracts
Sector Focus: Mining innovation, full chain
Stage Focus: Any maturity
Check Size: Contracts, not equity
Location: Santiago, Chile
Website: expandemineria.cl
Give each mining investor one trackable link
Ellty logs when a fund or miner opens your data room. Chase the keen ones first, not days too late.
Start free 14-day trial7. Antofagasta Minerals
Antofagasta funds mine-productivity tech.
Recent Activity: Ran 2024 Los Pelambres tech call
Sector Focus: Productivity, automation, sensors
Stage Focus: Pre-commercial to pilot
Check Size: Seed, pilot funding
Location: Santiago, Chile
Website: antofagasta.co.uk
8. Codelco
Codelco runs open-innovation for mining.
Recent Activity: Signed 2026 Microsoft AI deal
Sector Focus: Hydromet, water, automation, AI
Stage Focus: Pilot, tech development
Check Size: Pilots, not equity
Location: Santiago, Chile
Website: codelco.com
9. Start-Up Chile
Start-Up Chile gives equity-free grants.
Recent Activity: Runs equity-free grant cohorts
Sector Focus: Generalist tech
Stage Focus: Pre-seed to growth
Check Size: US$15K-$100K, equity-free
Location: Santiago, Chile
Website: startupchile.org
10. ChileGlobal Ventures
ChileGlobal backs cleantech and software.
Recent Activity: Cleantech focus, no confirmed mining deal
Sector Focus: Cleantech, software, biotech
Stage Focus: Seed
Check Size: ~US$100K-$5M
Location: Santiago, Chile
Website: chileglobalventures.cl
11. Kayyak Ventures
Kayyak backs climate and SaaS startups.
Recent Activity: Climate focus, no confirmed mining deal
Sector Focus: Climatetech, SaaS, fintech
Stage Focus: Seed to Series B
Check Size: ~US$1M-$5M
Location: Santiago, Chile
Website: kayyakventures.com
12. Chrysalis (PUCV)
Chrysalis incubates mining-tech startups.
Recent Activity: Incubated 130+ startups, mining a focus
Sector Focus: Mining, deep tech, food
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, incubation
Check Size: Incubation, not equity
Location: Valparaiso, Chile
Website: chrysalis.cl
Why majors lead the funding
Few independent mining VCs exist in Chile, and Aurus is the rare local exception. That scarcity pushes founders toward the big players instead.
BHP and SQM run their own venture arms, and they back tech they can actually deploy. Their interest is practical, tied to what helps their own operations.
Pilot with a miner to stand out from the crowd of pitches. See our ecommerce investors guide too if you raise across sectors.
Ellty shows you who studies your deck and for how long. Track every open in one place so no warm lead slips by.
How open-innovation works
Expande links startups to miners and brokers real contracts between them. It works as a connector rather than a fund.
These are deals, not equity, and a signed contract can beat a cheque. Revenue from a major often proves more than dilution would.
Grants help too, like those from Start-Up Chile, and you should treat them as runway. They buy time to reach the milestones investors want.
Share pilot data with secure file sharing so nothing leaks. Ellty logs every view so you always know who looked.
Raising mining-tech money in Santiago
Line up majors, funds, and programs together, and run pilots in parallel. A mix of channels keeps your momentum from stalling on one no.
Keep updates flowing with investor updates, since trust builds over time. Regular notes turn cold contacts into warm ones.
Lock files with a password to control who sees the data. Sensitive pilot numbers should never travel unguarded.
Ellty stores docs in one investor data room you can reuse. It is built for startups raising right now.
How to pitch a mining-tech investor
Run a pilot at a real mine.
- 1.Run a pilot at a real mine.Show hard field data from a working site, not a lab bench. Investors trust results that hold up under real mining conditions.
- 2.Prove savings on cost or water.Keep the numbers clear and tied to a real operation. A clean before-and-after on cost or water use makes the case for you.
- 3.Name your raise and milestones.Keep the ask tight and say exactly what the money unlocks. Tie each milestone to a date so the plan feels concrete.
- 4.Send one Ellty link to your data.See who digs in and which pages they linger on. Use that signal to follow up with the investors who care most.
How Ellty helps you land a mining-tech investor in Santiago
You have your Santiago mining-tech list ready. Set up a data room first.
- 1.Upload your deck, pilots, and data.Set access per investor.
- 2.Share one trackable link each.Every investor gets a unique link.
- 3.Watch opens and follow up fast.Use analytics to time each nudge.
Santiago mining-tech investor questions
- Mining majors and a few VCs. Programs and grants help too.
- Few exist. Aurus is the main one.
- Yes, BHP and SQM run arms. They back usable tech.
- An open-innovation program. It links startups to miners.
- Often US$1M to US$5M. Programs add grants too.
- Before your first investor call. Track who opens your data.
