# Nathan Ratledge

> Nathan Ratledge is the co-founder and CEO of Alta Resource Technologies, a Boulder, Colorado startup using computationally designed proteins to pull rare earth elements out of low-grade ores, mine tailings, and electronic waste. A Stanford-trained economist and environmental scientist who once ran a poverty-and-electrification research agenda across East Africa, he pivoted from policy and academia to deep tech, betting that biology - not brute-force chemistry - is the way to break China's grip on the critical-mineral supply chain. Alta has raised about $10 million in seed funding from DCVC, Voyager Ventures, Orion Industrial Ventures and In-Q-Tel (the CIA's venture arm), and advanced to the final phase of DARPA's EMBER program alongside Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

- **Role:** Co-founder & CEO at Alta Resource Technologies
- **Organizations:** Alta Resource Technologies, Stanford University, Apogee Economics and Policy (Apogee EP), Community Office for Resource Efficiency (CORE), Resources for the Future, White House Council on Environmental Quality
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** BA, summa cum laude (Foundation Fellow), University of Georgia, MPA & certificate in Science, Technology and Environmental Policy (David Bradford Prize), Princeton University, School of Public and International Affairs, MA in Economics; PhD in Environment & Resources (E-IPER), Stanford University
- **Known for:** Co-founded and leads Alta Resource Technologies, a biochemistry-driven critical-minerals startup, Raised approximately $10 million in seed funding from DCVC, Voyager Ventures, Orion Industrial Ventures and In-Q-Tel, Advanced Alta to the final phase of DARPA's EMBER program alongside Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

## Career timeline

- **pre-grad school** — Executive Director of the Community Office for Resource Efficiency (CORE) in Aspen, Colorado
- **early career** — Founded Apogee EP, an energy and climate policy consulting firm; led research for Resources for the Future; served at the White House Council on Environmental Quality
- **2010s-2023** — PhD at Stanford studying the economics and financing of energy and climate tech in the Global South, focused on East and Southern Africa; published research using satellite data and machine learning to measure electrification and poverty
- **2023** — Co-founded Alta Resource Technologies with Nicolas Daffern, licensing protein-engineering IP from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
- **2025-01** — Alta emerged from stealth with a $5.1M seed round led by DCVC and Voyager Ventures
- **2025-05** — Expanded seed to ~$10M with an additional $4.4M co-led by DCVC and Voyager, plus Orion Industrial Ventures and In-Q-Tel (CIA venture arm)
- **2025-06** — Alta advanced to the final phase of DARPA's EMBER program as part of a Lawrence Livermore-led team; Ratledge spoke at Deep Tech Week SF 2025

## Achievements

- Co-founded and leads Alta Resource Technologies, a biochemistry-driven critical-minerals startup
- Raised approximately $10 million in seed funding from DCVC, Voyager Ventures, Orion Industrial Ventures and In-Q-Tel
- Advanced Alta to the final phase of DARPA's EMBER program alongside Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
- Earned a PhD in Environment & Resources and an MA in Economics from Stanford
- Published peer-reviewed research using satellite imagery and machine learning to quantify the impacts of electrification and clean energy in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Graduated summa cum laude from the University of Georgia as a Foundation Fellow; won Princeton's David Bradford Prize

## Latest updates

- **2026-06** — Spoke at Deep Tech Week SF 2025 on the advanced materials and manufacturing panel; Alta continuing work under DARPA's EMBER program with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
- **2025-05** — Alta expanded its seed round to about $10M with $4.4M co-led by DCVC and Voyager Ventures, joined by Orion Industrial Ventures and In-Q-Tel.
- **2025-01** — Alta Resource Technologies emerged from stealth with a $5.1M seed round and plans for a shipping-container-sized pilot plant.

## Links

- Website: https://altatech.io
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-ratledge-6b221631

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/nathan-ratledge
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-25