Jerusalem, 1 April, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Innovation Authority and Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure launched a national challenge for critical minerals. A first prize of one million Shekels ($320,000) for startups that develop technologies for production, processing, and replacements, alongside prizes of 200,000 Shekels ($64,000) for another 4 winners as part of the Innovation Authority’s Tnufa track.
Over the past decade, critical minerals have transformed from an industrial challenge to a strategic issue at the heart of the global economy, explained the authority. The growing demand for green energy, artificial intelligence, and advanced industries, along with increasing reliance on centralized supply chains, have placed them at the center of competition between countries.
Despite the huge demand, supply chains for critical minerals are characterized by fragility, concentration, and dependence on geopolitical factors. The gap between the dispersion of resources in nature and the concentration of knowledge in their processing creates a significant challenge, especially in the production, refining, and conversion stages, where the main risk centers are located.
Against this background, the competition is designed to accelerate the development of innovative solutions for detection, production, processing, refining, recycling and substitutes, and to enable entrepreneurs and researchers to explore new technological directions at low risk, while creating an infrastructure for the growth of a new field of global importance.