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YCS25· AI

Duranium

Reshoring critical metal production

ActiveChecked 24h ago
Batch
S25
Status, per YC
Active
Team size
12
HQ
San Francisco, CA
In S25166 companies, 92% AI
duranium.coYC profile LinkedIn

Founders

  • Brenden Prins-McKinneyFounder/CEO
  • Berkley NobleFounder/CTO

Same space

About Duranium

China and Russia control the world’s critical minerals. We can produce Titanium, Magnesium, Aluminum, Zirconium & Hafnium in the U.S. more profitably than any existing process, and carbon neutrally via co-production. Carbochlorination is the primary process for producing critical metals like titanium, hafnium, and zirconium, and was once the standard for magnesium. The problem: conventional carbochlorination relies on purchasing carbon feedstocks, wastes valuable byproducts, and is highly CO₂-intensive. Duranium changes this with a novel reactor that recycles CO₂ emissions back into feedstock (CO) while generating a valuable co-product (bleaching agents). This closed loop slashes emissions and delivers Chinese-level metal pricing without subsidies — unlocking the full potential of carbochlorination for U.S. critical mineral production.

San Francisco, CA, USA

Duranium: questions

Which YC batch was Duranium in?

Duranium was in Y Combinator's Summer 2025 batch (S25).

Is Duranium still active?

Y Combinator lists Duranium as active.

Who founded Duranium?

Duranium's founders, as listed on its YC page: Brenden Prins-McKinney (Founder/CEO), Berkley Noble (Founder/CTO).

Where is Duranium based?

Duranium lists San Francisco, CA, USA as its location on YC's directory.

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