Shenmai Mining received tens of millions of yuan in investment from SkyWorks Ventures, marking the beginning of a new era of "robot exploration".
Deep - seated mineral exploration has entered a new stage of "high - risk, strong constraints, and low - grade ores", and the exploration industry is transitioning from a "labor - intensive" era to an age of "data and equipment intelligence".
On December 26th, DEEPVEIN MINING, a robotic mining company, announced the completion of a financing round worth tens of millions of RMB, with the investor being the Skyworks Venture Capital Fund. On the same day, DEEPVEIN MINING launched its first software - hardware integrated product in Shanghai - the "DeepPupil Exploration" system platform. Through mining robots, multi - source data fusion, and intelligent analysis technologies, this platform is designed for complex mining scenarios, aiming to improve exploration efficiency and operational safety.
In addition, the company also reached an enterprise - level cooperation with Zhongtian Junxin Surveying, Planning and Design (Sichuan) Co., Ltd. and signed its first exploration service order worth 12 million RMB, marking that the relevant technologies have begun to enter the stage of actual commercial application.
DEEPVEIN MINING stated that the funds from this financing round will be mainly used for deepening the platform's capabilities, building standardized operation processes, and expanding domestic and international markets, driving the business from the technology verification stage to large - scale replication.
Redefining the Track: Overcoming the Engineering Bottleneck of Data Acquisition with "Robots"
Different from the common "AI - based mineral exploration" narrative in the industry, DEEPVEIN MINING defines itself as a "robotic mining platform". The company believes that the real challenge in mineral exploration is not "calculating the models", but "collecting on - site data accurately, comprehensively, and stably". Therefore, its core approach is to have robots replace humans in high - risk and complex outdoor environments, undertaking high - intensity and repetitive front - line data collection and physical sampling tasks, and standardizing the most difficult - to - standardize processes first.
"The fundamental bottleneck in the industry lies not in algorithms, but in the engineering ability of data acquisition," said Dr. Qu Zeyu. As the strategic and product leader of DEEPVEIN MINING and the person - in - charge of the "DeepPupil Exploration" project, he is responsible for the project from direction selection, confirmation to full - process solution design and construction, and promotes its implementation and verification. This judgment is supported by the team's long - term experience in product and project implementation: Dr. Qu Zeyu has a background in applied mathematics and data science and has participated in on - site practices of mineral projects such as gold mines and chromite mines in Africa, with a systematic understanding of the operation organization, engineering constraints, and quality control of mining data acquisition.
In terms of team configuration, based on long - term product design and engineering practice, DEEPVEIN MINING has built a team with a composite background: It combines top - notch robotic technology, mining expertise, and artificial intelligence, and is composed of algorithm scientists from Tsinghua University and industry experts with years of experience in the mining industry. In the specific model, robots are the "pioneers" in obtaining first - hand, high - density, and high - quality on - site data. The resulting standardized exploration database provides a reliable foundation for the subsequent integration of AI algorithms and geological experts' knowledge, thereby improving the efficiency and quality of mineral exploration decision - making.
The Debut of the "DeepPupil Exploration" System: Air - Space - Ground Coordination for Remote and Intelligent Exploration
The "DeepPupil Exploration" system launched this time is the engineering implementation of the above concept. The system consists of a swarm of drones equipped with multi - spectral and magnetic sensors and robotic dogs responsible for tasks such as drilling and sampling, constructing an "air - space - ground" integrated coordinated operation network.
"Traditional exploration might take a sample every hundred meters, but now we can take a sample every ten meters. The data density and quality are incomparable," introduced Dr. Qu Zeyu. By integrating four major software modules of real - time monitoring, remote control, data visualization, and intelligent analysis, this platform aims to transform exploration operations from traditional "pure outdoor physical labor" to "remote monitoring and decision - making", which can improve the overall operation efficiency by 3 - 5 times and significantly reduce safety risks and labor costs.
Behind the Technology: From High - altitude Frostbite to Robotic Operations, Protecting Safety with Technology
The evolution of all technologies often stems from real needs and concerns. At the press conference, Professor Fu Xiaofang shared a photo of the Jiajika mining area at an altitude of 4,600 meters: The ice and snow had just melted, and the area was full of swamps. When one stepped on the ground, their shoes would sink into ice - cold water and mud, quickly exhausting people's physical strength and judgment. Fu Xiaofang is a professor - level senior engineer at the Sichuan Institute of Comprehensive Geological Survey, who has long been engaged in on - site mineral exploration and resource evaluation work. She is also the chief expert of the Sichuan Key Laboratory of "Strategic Resource Evaluation and Utilization of Rare Earths". Years of on - site experience have given her a more engineering - based judgment on the organization of exploration operations, safety risks, and data quality control.
"It took us eight years to discover the largest lithium mine in Asia there," recalled Professor Fu. "Mr. Feng Yunduan, the founder of DEEPVEIN MINING, was a member of the sampling team back then. Due to long - term operations in snow - water and swamps, he suffered permanent frostbite on his feet."
This story became an important motivation for the research and development of the "DeepPupil Exploration" system. In harsh environments such as high - altitude, oxygen - deficient areas and scorching mining areas, traditional manual operations are not only inefficient but also accompanied by extremely high safety risks. Letting robots enter dangerous areas and allowing humans to focus on safety and decision - making is not only the technological goal of DEEPVEIN but also a practical guarantee for the safety of operators.
Advancing with Orders and Ecosystem: Strengthening Commercialization and Strategic Cooperation Simultaneously
In addition to the product launch, the 12 - million - RMB exploration service order signed between DEEPVEIN MINING and Zhongtian Junxin Surveying, Planning and Design (Sichuan) Co., Ltd. is regarded as a crucial step for the "DeepPupil Exploration" system to verify its engineering feasibility and commercial value in real and complex scenarios, providing a model for subsequent large - scale promotion.
In terms of ecological cooperation, DEEPVEIN MINING also announced strategic cooperation with multiple partners, including the Lujiazui Administration of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, the Shanghai Free Trade Pilot Area Branch of Zheshang Bank, and Baihui (Hong Kong) Financial Holding Co., Ltd.
Investor's Perspective: Optimistic about the Combination of Full - stack Capabilities and the Industry
Gu Jianlu, an investment director of the Skyworks Venture Capital Fund, said that the investment in DEEPVEIN MINING was based on the optimistic view of its rare combination of "technology + industry + global vision". The team not only has profound full - stack technological capabilities but also rich industry experience and practical backgrounds in overseas mineral resources. In the current era of both the mining industry's stock era and the demand for global expansion, companies like this that can provide integrated solutions from physical collection to data intelligence have greater long - term development potential.
Conclusion
The series of progress presented at the press conference on that day collectively reflect the phased achievements of DEEPVEIN MINING in productization, commercialization, and industrial collaboration. Starting from the "DeepPupil Exploration" system, it is attempting to use robotic technology and systematic thinking to drive the exploration industry towards a safer, more efficient, and sustainable future. The path from intelligent exploration to gradually achieving unmanned operation in the entire mine process has clearly emerged.