Startupsby GlyphWhy it ranks
How the rank works- team of 12Team size · YC's directory+5.8
- went through YCProgram · this site+4
A sum of public facts, not a judgement and not investment advice.
Competitors
| Company | Category | Status | Program |
|---|---|---|---|
| EARTH AIShared: critical metalYC S19ActiveAI | AI | Active | YCS19 |
| AI | Not stated | EF2025 | |
| AI | Not stated | Plug and Play |
Adjacent
| Company | Category | Status | Program |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other | Active | YCF26 | |
| Other | Not stated | Plug and Play | |
| Nox MetalsShared: manufacturing, metal, productionYC S25ActiveAI | AI | Active | YCS25 |
| Other | Active | YCW17 | |
| AI | Active | YCS26 |
Also from S25 in AI
All of S25Founders
- Brenden Prins-McKinneyFounder/CEO
- Berkley NobleFounder/CTO
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.
- YC batch
- S25 · Summer 2025
- Status, per YC
- Active
- Category
- AI
- Team size
- 12
- Location
- San Francisco, CA, USA
- Founded
- 2025
- Checked
- 6h ago
YC tags: Manufacturing, Advanced Materials, ClimateTech
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.