Four finalists have been named to participate in the #DisruptMining challenge in March.
The annual competition, hosted by Goldcorp, encourages companies to come up with disruptive ideas and technologies to address challenges in mining, with the potential of winning up to $1 million in investment money to develop a proof of concept. More than 100 ideas were submitted to the 2018 competition.
The finalists include:
- Acoustic Zoom Inc. (Paradise, Nfld): Acoustic Zoom uses high-frequency 3-D imaging to help map complex geological formations deep within the earth's micro-structure.
- EnviroLeach Technologies (Burnaby, B.C.): EnviroLeach has developed an eco-friendly alternative to cyanide used in the hydrometallurgical extraction of precious metals.
- LlamaZOO Interactive Inc. (Victoria, B.C.): LlamaZOO Interactive has created MineLife VR, a software platform that enables companies to represent a mine plan from exploration to reclamation in an interactive 1:1 scale using virtual reality.
- Open Mineral AG (Baar, Switzerland): Open Mineral, founded by former Glencore executives, is an online eBay-style marketplace for trading mineral commodities.
A live finale will be held on March 4, with the winner chosen by a panel of judges that includes Blanca Treviño, president-CEO of Softtek and director of Goldcorp; George Salamis, president and CEO of Integra Resources; Rob McEwen, founder and CEO of McEwen Mining; Veronica Knott, a University of British Columbia mining engineering student and the recipient of the 2017 Engineers Canada Gold Medal Student Award; and Wal van Lierop, president and CEO of Chrysalix Venture Capital.
Net proceeds from the #DisruptMining finale event will be invested in the future of the mining industry through innovation-focused scholarships.
During the inaugural competition in 2017, North Bay company Cementation and Kore Geosystems of Toronto were named co-winners of the event.
Cementation, which was successful in pitching its injection hoisting technology, was additionally named the People’s Choice winner at the event.
