US-based critical minerals development platform Africa Critical Minerals Corporation (ACMC) and AI-powered resource intelligence company Scepter have signed a memorandum of understanding to use Scepter’s AI to evaluate African critical minerals projects for ACMC’s development platform.

ACMC is building a portfolio of critical minerals projects with local African partners.

It originates opportunities, secures rights, invests and assembles the technical, development and capital partners to advance each project, while development partners build and operate the mines.

Local content, skilled jobs and knowledge transfer are built into every project, the company points out.

The companies will integrate satellite, geological and geospatial data to identify mineral opportunities, with field validation guiding exploration and investment.

“Our objective is to build a portfolio of critical minerals projects in Africa that create lasting value where we work. Partners like Scepter are key to our vision: working with cutting-edge technology companies to identify and develop the strongest opportunities in Africa,” says ACMC chairperson Elias Pungong.

“We want to shorten the path from mineral identification through development and commercialisation. We see an extraordinary opportunity to collaborate with ACMC and its local partners to unlock the value of Africa’s mineral resources and build globally competitive critical minerals industries,” says Scepter founder and CEO Philip Father.

“I’m excited about the transformative potential of Scepter’s technology. AI-driven resource intelligence can fundamentally change how African nations develop their mineral resources, helping them move up the value chain,” says mining veteran and senior adviser to Scepter Kweku Awotwi.

ACMC says it aims to bring US technology, capital and expertise to African mining, including through US public-private partnerships that support technical, feasibility and infrastructure work to attract private capital.

“US national security demands earlier investment in Africa’s critical minerals. Scepter’s technology shows how American innovation can derisk early-stage opportunities and open the door to American capital. We support win-win development that builds long-term prosperity in the markets we operate in,” says ACMC co-founder and COO Carrie Clark.