In this episode of CleanTechies, host Silas Mähner sits down with Impossible Metals Co-Founder & CEO Oliver Gunasekara to explore one of the least understood—and most consequential—frontiers in the clean energy transition: the deep ocean.
The conversation dives into how Impossible Metals is rethinking access to critical minerals like nickel, copper, cobalt, and manganese—materials essential for electric vehicles, energy storage, renewable power, and digital infrastructure. Instead of traditional dredging or seabed-tracking machines, the company has developed autonomous underwater robots that hover above the seafloor and selectively collect polymetallic nodules one by one, reducing disturbance while operating on clean electricity.
Oliver explains why land-based mining alone is unlikely to meet future demand, how selective deep-sea collection could complement existing supply chains, and why geopolitics are increasingly shaping access to critical minerals. The episode also covers Impossible Metals’ early exploration work, the regulatory landscape for deep-sea resources, and what it takes to build and fund first-of-a-kind technologies.
Beyond the technology, the discussion touches on leadership, assembling high-performing teams, fundraising for long-horizon innovation, and the challenges of building something entirely new in a space with global implications.
A wide-ranging conversation on clean materials, system-level innovation, and the future of responsible mineral supply.
Listen to the episode here.
