# Mariana Minerals

> Mariana Minerals is a software-first, vertically integrated critical minerals company building MarianaOS, an AI platform that turns mineral discovery, extraction and refining into a live, data-driven operation. The company is restarting and building lithium, copper and nickel projects across the U.S., starting with Copper One in Utah - billed as the world's first autonomy-first copper mine.

- **Founded:** 2024
- **Headquarters:** San Francisco, California, United States
- **Founders:** Turner Caldwell (Co-founder & CEO), Juan Lozano (Co-founder & CTO), Baker Tilney (Co-founder & CFO)
- **Team size:** ~89 employees (LinkedIn lists 51-200)
- **Products:** MarianaOS, Copper One, Lithium One, Stealth projects
- **Notable:** Restarted Utah's Lisbon Valley / Copper One operation in roughly six months after acquisition., Operates what it describes as the world's first autonomy-first copper mine., Raised $85M total funding within roughly a year of founding.

## Products & services

- **MarianaOS** — An in-house AI and ML software stack integrating MineOS, PlantOS and CapitalProjectOS - covering geologic block modeling, autonomous fleet operations, chemical process optimization and capital project execution.
- **Copper One** — A restarted copper mine and refinery roughly 40 miles southeast of Moab, Utah, billed as the world's first autonomy-first copper operation.
- **Lithium One** — Lithium project in development in the United States.
- **Stealth projects** — Three additional minerals projects in stealth; future roadmap covers nickel, cobalt, aluminum, graphite, uranium and rare earths.

## Achievements

- Restarted Utah's Lisbon Valley / Copper One operation in roughly six months after acquisition.
- Operates what it describes as the world's first autonomy-first copper mine.
- Raised $85M total funding within roughly a year of founding.
- Reports ~30% lower refining costs and ~50% lower mining costs versus conventional baselines.

## Latest updates

- **2025-07** — Closed Series A led by a16z; total funding reaches $85M.
- **2026-04** — Deseret News profile: 'Inside Mariana Minerals, the world's first autonomous copper mine.'
- **2026** — Copper One operations resume with Spot robots integrated into MarianaOS.

## Links

- Website: https://marianaminerals.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mariana-minerals

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/mariana-minerals
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-19