Stacked column chart depicting yearly early and growth-stage venture capital investment into critical mineral startups from 2017 to Q1 2023, color-coded by type of mineral. The color-coded fields are lithium, cobalt and copper extraction, battery and waste recycling, rare earth extraction, and other. 2022 saw a total $1.64 billion early and growth-stage VC investment into critical mineral startups, the highest of any year charted. This 2022 total is mainly comprised of $827 million in lithium, cobalt, and copper extraction and $588.7 million in battery and waste recycling. 2023 — as of Q1 — saw a total $214 million early and growth-stage VC investment into critical mineral startups, the third highest of any year charted. A majority of investments in 2023 as of Q1 is made up by $155 million in lithium extraction and refining.