Gates-Backed Mining Firm Seeks Access to Congo’s Mineral Archives as Race for Critical Metals Intensifies

Democratic Republic of Congo

A California mining startup backed by some of the world’s most influential technology investors is pressing for access to decades-old geological records from the Democratic Republic of Congo, arguing that unlocking the data could accelerate new investment in one of the world’s richest mineral regions.

The company, KoBold Metals, whose investors include Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, is seeking permission to digitize colonial-era maps and exploration records currently housed at Belgium’s Royal Museum for Central Africa, widely known as the AfricaMuseum. The documents, produced during Belgium’s rule over Congo in the early and mid-20th century, contain detailed surveys of mineral deposits across a country that remains central to the global supply of critical metals.

KoBold says the records could significantly improve modern exploration efforts by helping scientists identify promising areas for copper, cobalt and lithium—minerals essential to electric vehicles, renewable energy technologies and advanced electronics. The company has offered to finance the digitization of the archive, with the aim of making the information publicly accessible and encouraging further exploration in the region.

Officials at the AfricaMuseum have rejected the idea of granting a private company direct control over the digitization process, arguing that scientific archives of such historical and national significance should remain under public stewardship. The museum says it is already working with European partners and the Congolese government to digitize the material, though the process could take years given the fragile condition and sheer volume of documents.

Stretching across nearly 500 meters of shelving, the archive contains millions of handwritten notes, geological maps and technical reports documenting how Belgian companies once mapped and exploited Congo’s vast mineral wealth. For modern mining companies, the files represent an invaluable starting point for understanding the country’s complex geology.

The dispute comes at a moment of growing global competition for critical minerals. Congo is the world’s largest producer of cobalt and is believed to hold enormous untapped reserves of copper, lithium and other metals that underpin the clean-energy transition. Governments and companies alike are racing to secure reliable supply chains as demand for battery materials continues to surge.

KoBold has positioned itself at the forefront of this race. The company uses artificial intelligence and advanced data modeling to identify mineral deposits that traditional exploration methods might overlook. In recent years it has expanded its presence in Congo, raising hundreds of millions of dollars from investors eager to support new sources of strategic minerals.

Yet the standoff over the archives has also revived deeper questions about the legacy of colonial resource extraction and who should control knowledge of Congo’s mineral riches. Critics warn that granting a private foreign firm privileged access to historical geological data could echo patterns of external dominance that have long shaped the country’s mining industry.

For now, both sides say they remain committed to the eventual digitization of the archive. The disagreement lies not in whether the documents should be preserved and shared, but in who should oversee the process—and who ultimately benefits from the knowledge they contain.