# Yair Frastai

> Yair Frastai is the co-founder and CEO of VerAI Discoveries, a Boston-based company using proprietary AI to find concealed mineral deposits buried under covered terrain. A former Israeli Intelligence special operations officer and Israel Defense Prize recipient turned mining-sector executive, Frastai built VerAI in 2020 with longtime partner Amitai Axelrod to attack what he calls mining's biggest problem: only 1 in 1,000 exploration projects ever becomes a mine. VerAI reads raw geophysical signals from deep underground with machine learning, and has raised roughly $39 million to date, including a $24M Series B led by Insight Partners in 2025.

- **Role:** Co-Founder & CEO at VerAI Discoveries
- **Organizations:** VerAI Discoveries, Quantum Pacific Exploration (QPX), Quantum Discoveries, Israel Defense Forces
- **Nationality:** Israeli
- **Education:** Bachelor's Degree in Architecture (B.Arch.), Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, Jerusalem
- **Known for:** Recipient of the Israel Defense Prize for work in Israeli Intelligence special operations, Co-founded and leads VerAI Discoveries, an AI-driven mineral asset company, Raised approximately $39.4 million in total funding, including a $24M Series B led by Insight Partners

## Career timeline

- **Early career** — Served in the Israeli Intelligence special operations forces, leading paradigm shifts in planning and operations; awarded the Israel Defense Prize.
- **~2010s** — Became an executive in the mining sector, leading mineral exploration R&D and field operations across North and South America; former executive and head of R&D at QPX (Chile & US).
- **2020** — Co-founded VerAI Discoveries with Amitai Axelrod to find concealed mineral deposits using AI.
- **2023** — VerAI raised $12M Series A led by T. Rowe Price Associates.
- **2025** — VerAI secured $24M Series B led by Insight Partners, with Jeff Horing joining the board.

## Achievements

- Recipient of the Israel Defense Prize for work in Israeli Intelligence special operations
- Co-founded and leads VerAI Discoveries, an AI-driven mineral asset company
- Raised approximately $39.4 million in total funding, including a $24M Series B led by Insight Partners
- Built a portfolio of 60+ mineral projects across North and South America
- Negotiated exploration partnerships including a deal with Pampa Metals covering ~18,700 hectares in Chile's Paleocene mineral belt

## Latest updates

- **2025-02** — VerAI Discoveries secured $24 million in Series B funding led by Insight Partners; Jeff Horing joined the board.

## Links

- Website: https://ver-ai.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/yair-frastai-b7a92b7b
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/verai_discover

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/yair-frastai
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-07