KoBold Metals – a critical minerals start-up backed by billionaires including Americans Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos – has secured seven mineral exploration permits in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), advancing the US-backed mining firm's presence near the contested Manono lithium deposit, Reuters has reported.

KoBold focuses on lithium, but the permits also include rights for coltan, rare earths, and other critical minerals. Its strategy involves deploying AI-driven exploration technologies for geological mapping and digital surveys. 

The permits, granted across Tanganyika and Haut-Lomami provinces, authorise KoBold to conduct large-scale exploration for lithium and other battery minerals. Four of the licences are located in Manono territory in Tanganyika, while the remaining three are situated in Malemba Nkulu, Haut-Lomami. The permits cover lithium, coltan, and rare earth elements, highlighting the region’s polymetallic potential.

KoBold, which is apart from the founders of Microsoft and Amazon, is also backed by other billionaire investors through Breakthrough Energy Ventures, including Michael Bloomberg and Richard Branson, said exploration will prioritise lithium across all seven licences. 

“Our exploration efforts across all seven new licenses will be focused on lithium,” a company representative told Reuters.

The permits follow a framework agreement signed with the Congolese government in July, which also provides KoBold a potential pathway to acquire the Manono project. The deposit is considered one of the world’s largest undeveloped sources of lithium and is viewed as a strategic asset for the development of a regional electric vehicle (EV) supply chain in central Africa.

The development intensifies competition around Manono, which remains the subject of a protracted permitting and ownership dispute involving Australia-listed AVZ Minerals. AVZ has challenged the Congolese authorities over the refusal to grant a mining licence and is pursuing international arbitration. The dispute has stalled progress at the site, delaying large-scale development.

KoBold’s July agreement and recent permits indicate Kinshasa may be seeking to accelerate exploration activity despite ongoing legal uncertainty around Manono. The Congolese government has expressed interest in converting mineral wealth into foreign investment and employment opportunities as global automakers seek reliable sources of lithium.