BANiQL Selected for 2026 Mining Water Tech Pilot Pathway Program

BANIQL has been selected for the 2026 Mining Water Tech Pilot Pathway Program, a collaboration between Nomadic Venture Partners and Current. Over the next few months, we'll work alongside mining companies and industry experts to explore how selective leaching technology can support more sustainable mining operations.

The program is backed by the U.S. Economic Development Administration's Build to Scale Program, the National Science Foundation's Great Lakes RENEW Engine, and Rio Tinto. We're joining a cohort that includes KIRA Systems, FAST Metals, and Kunin — each working on different pieces of the critical minerals and water sustainability puzzle.

This is a chance to bring BANIQL's core efficiency principles to a new part of the mining value chain, and to build relationships with mining companies and industry experts who can help shape where BEST goes next.

BANiQL's Korea team is one of several teams driving the company's mission to build a cleaner, more resilient critical minerals supply chain. Combining expertise across law, materials science, and business development, the team plays an important role in advancing BANIQL's technology and global growth.

Tara (Yeojin Lee) — Business Operations Manager
California and Washington, D.C.-licensed attorney with expertise in corporate law, corporate governance, and cross-border transactions. Supports BANIQL's legal, financial, and operational initiatives as Business Operations Manager at BANIQL Korea and Corporate Secretary of BANIQL Corp.

Chaerin Lee — R&D Engineer
Background in Materials Science and Engineering, with expertise in materials characterization and process optimization. Focuses on improving BANIQL's product quality and advancing our hydrometallurgical processes.

Jong-Soo Cho — Head of Operations & Business Development
Earned a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Seoul National University and brings over two decades of industry expertise in battery materials and cell development, having previously led battery materials R&D at SolarEdge Technologies.

Together, our Korea team brings the legal, scientific, and operational expertise that helps accelerate BANIQL's mission.

Nickel prices climbed to a three-week high in mid-July 2026, with LME nickel trading around $16,725/t — up 3.8% from July 3 — as Indonesia's tightened mining quotas squeeze global supply. Some analysts have raised their 2026 price forecasts to as high as $17,750/t. (Source: Tacto; Discovery Alert)

Indonesian ore grades are falling below 1.5% in most producing areas, which drives up acid consumption per ton of nickel recovered under HPAL's fixed chemistry — a cost pressure that can't be engineered away. At the same time, Strait of Hormuz shipping disruptions pushed sulfur prices from under $600/mt to roughly $1,300/mt at their peak, forcing at least one major Indonesian HPAL operator to cut production. Analysts note that sustained acid cost increases alone can shift HPAL projects from marginally profitable to loss-making — independent of where nickel prices land. (Source: Crux Investor; Discovery Alert)

The IEA's July 2026 critical minerals report also reinforced the supply concentration risk we've flagged before: Indonesia and China accounted for more than three-quarters of global processing growth over the past two years. (Source: IEA Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2026)

It's a timely backdrop for BANIQL's mission — as the cost and complexity of conventional extraction keeps climbing, the case for a cleaner, lower-input alternative like BEST only gets stronger.

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