EXPLORATION
providing a valuable input for AI analysis of orebodies and controlling structures, the company claims. By removing the need for a base station and drift corrections, these instruments can generate accurate absolute gravity maps in real-time, enabling dynamic adjustments to the array on-the-fly; and
DeteQt is revolutionising the field with its patented‘ diamond-on-chip‘ quantum magnetometers. These remarkably sensitive, portable sensors detect vector magnetic fields with extreme precision, and can be manufactured and deployed at scale for widespread use in field operations. Integrated into Fleet Space’ s low-impact, real-time magnetotelluric solution, these compact devices could enable the generation of 3D subsurface conductivity models with minimal ground disturbance and minimal digging required.
Dr Gerrit Olivier, Chief Scientist at Fleet Space, said:“ By partnering with global leaders in quantum gravimetry and magnetometry, we’ re bringing laboratorygrade precision into a handheld package. These sensors deliver extreme precision and stability in the field, letting crews collect higher-fidelity gravity and magnetic data with fewer stations, lighter logistics and far simpler CONOPS. When we fuse these quantum measurements with passive muon tomography, seismic imaging and conventional gravity data inside our joint-inversion framework, we obtain an unprecedented 3D picture of the subsurface, from regional reconnaissance right down to drill-ready targets.”
This slate of new partnerships followed Fleet Space’ s acquisition of a leading provider of active seismic solutions for hardrock mineral exploration, HiSeis.
Terra AI moves AI platform forward
Terra AI, the artificial intelligence platform solving subsurface uncertainty for mineral and energy exploration, announced in August 2025 previous seed funding and strategic partnerships with several major mining and energy companies, including Rio Tinto, Ero Copper and Ramaco Resources. It said the announcement marked a major milestone for the company as it emerges from stealth with field-proven technology and rapidly scaling global deployments.
Terra AI says its mission is to fundamentally reshape how the world discovers and develops mineral and subsurface energy resources.“ With AI demand, energy transition needs, and geopolitical pressures driving historic spikes in mineral demand, the exploration industry faces an urgent bottleneck. Current exploration methods are costly and slow- resulting in false positive rates exceeding 90 % and project timelines stretching to nearly two decades.”
“ We are entering a new era of global demand for subsurface resources- facing an exploration gap that will define whether we meet our climate, energy, and AI ambitions,” said John Mern, CEO and Co-Founder of Terra AI.“ Our platform brings a paradigm shift to exploration decision-making- reducing uncertainty, integrating diverse datasets, and helping teams choose where to drill, faster and more intelligently than ever before.”
Terra AI applies patent-pending generative modelling techniques and real-time geophysical simulations- some 125,000x faster than traditional methods- to create thousands of geologic models conditioned on real-world data. Like a selfdriving car mapping potential paths on the road ahead, Terra AI explores millions of geologic possibilities underground to guide the most impactful next steps in exploration. The result: 40 % reductions in drilling metres and major gains in confidence and accuracy.
Alex Moyes, Director of Critical Minerals, Ramaco Resources, said:“ Integrating Terra AI into our workflow is a generational leap forward. It’ s not just enhancing our understanding- it’ s transforming how we explore rare earths.”
Mike Hocking, VP Exploration, Ero Copper, added:“ Terra’ s tools helped us prioritize targets with more confidence. Their technology complemented our process and accelerated parts of our workflow.”
Pablo Mejia, former VP Exploration at Ero Copper, said:“ Terra AI helped us discover unexpected insights- renewing our understanding of the mineralisation we were seeking.”
Terra AI’ s US $ 3.4 million seed round, raised in 2023, was led by Khosla Ventures, with participation from Storyhouse Ventures, Plug and Play, The TomKat Center for Sustainability, Climate Capital, and Rio Tinto, which invested in 2025 and also serves as a client and strategic partner.
Pekka Santasalo, Head of Growth & Ventures at Rio Tinto, said:“ As demand for critical materials grows, so does the need to discover them with less impact. Terra AI’ s technology has the potential to bring a step-change to interpreting and processing the geological and exploration data. We first backed them through our Accelerator Program and look forward to seeing what comes next.”
In total, Terra AI has worked with global majors and emerging juniors across critical mineral, rare earth, and carbon storage projects, delivering value on billions in potential resource development.
Founded in 2023 by Stanford AI PhDs John Mern and Anthony Corso- with backgrounds at Boeing Phantom Works, Kobold Metals, and NASA- Terra AI aims to become the backend intelligence engine of every exploration decision in mining and energy. The company is already partnering on high-impact projects spanning copper, rare earths, and offshore carbon storage.
“ There are thousands of explorationstage deposits active today, and hundreds that will define our energy and industrial future,” said Mern.“ Terra AI is building the platform to unlock them.”
VRIFY helps Cartier unlock Cadillac region
VRIFY offers what it says is the world’ s only AI-Assisted Mineral Discovery Platform transforming its proprietary geological dataset- one of the largest in the industry- and client project-specific information into actionable insights, so they can see what’ s in the ground.
VRIFY Predict utilises advanced algorithms to identify complex correlations across vast datasets, allowing users to leverage the data they already have, more quickly formulating insights that can lead to discovery while reducing bias and human error.
By reinterpreting this existing data alongside the VRIFY industry-leading database, it helps mineral exploration companies discover areas of high potential mineralisation, maximising asset value without extensive new data collection or onthe-ground exploration.“ This leading-edge technology is backed by geoscientists, AI engineers, and our leadership team- all of which have proven industry experience and established relationships.”
The amount of data in exploration today is vast, much more than any one person or team can fully unpack and interpret on their own. This is where VRIFY says its latest DORA software plays a vital role. By putting this AI software into the hands of its geoscience team, Cartier Resources was able to identify new high-potential targets in the heart of the historic mining region of Val-d’ Or, Quebec.
Revisiting this prolific district with AI, VRIFY says Cartier is pushing boundaries and demonstrating how legacy data and AI can come together to accelerate intelligent decision making at their Cadillac Project. To date, the output is a targeting strategy that combines historical insight with AIanalysis, giving Cartier the best chance at successfully making the camp’ s next highgrade discovery.
The Cadillac region presents a paradox- rich in opportunity, yet layered with complexity and disparate exploration data sets. With this, Cartier faced four major challenges:
Identifying and prioritising previously unknown targets within a data-rich, historically mined district, potentially defying the saying that‘ all the easy stuff has been
90 International Mining | FEBRUARY 2026