The Metals Company Inc. (TMC), an explorer of lower-impact battery metals from seafloor polymetallic nodules, announced the appointment of Steve Jurvetson to its Board of Directors as Vice Chairman and engagement as a Special Advisor to the CEO.

For over 25 years, Mr. Jurvetson has been known for his early-stage venture investments in some of the world’s most impactful technology companies. As Co-founder and Managing Director of Draper Fisher Jurvetson, he led the VC firm’s founding investments in several companies that had successful IPOs (e.g., Tesla, Planet Labs, D-Wave) and others that were acquired (e.g., Skype, Nervana, Hotmail), representing $800 billion of aggregate value creation. In 2018, Mr. Jurvetson co-founded Future Ventures to focus on trailblazing, purpose-driven entrepreneurs with unique ideas that have the potential to reinvent entire industries—from nuclear fusion and space exploration to sustainable energy and AI.

As a former long-standing board member of Tesla and a current board member of SpaceX, Mr. Jurvetson brings a wealth of experience in helping companies navigate through high-uncertainty industry startup phase and transition to global scale and industry leadership. At TMC, he will help guide the company through its next phase of growth as it seeks to harness the potential of deep-sea polymetallic nodules for the energy transition and wider global development.

Gerard Barron, Chairman and CEO of TMC, stated: “Steve Jurvetson is not just a legendary investor but a visionary with wide and deep-ranging curiosity. Whether it’s the world of bits or atoms, Steve has the uncanny ability to quickly get to simplicity on the other side of complexity. He’s played a pivotal role in the growth of some of the greatest companies of our time and I am personally excited about the prospect of benefiting from his counsel on our challenging journey. I am proud to count him both as a supporter of our mission and an existing TMC shareholder, and I look forward to his contributions as a board director and strategic advisor.

"With the increasing volume of scientific data at our disposal, it is imperative that we elevate the discourse on deep-seafloor metals. Like the adoption of electric vehicles, development of nuclear fusion and low-cost access to space, the utilization of deep-seafloor minerals is inevitable. As the world focuses on securing critical metals with the lightest planetary touch, we believe polymetallic nodules from the abyssal plains are clearly a viable option.”

New TMC Board Director Steve Jurvetson commented, “I’m excited to join TMC’s board at this inflection point in society’s transition to cleaner sources of energy. As I recently posted on X, it appears that the collection of deep-seafloor nodules to acquire nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese is the most environmentally benign option on Earth, especially when compared to leveling rainforests, causing devastation to human communities and some of our planet’s most valuable ecosystems. Abyssal plains cover over 50% of Earth’s surface, and collecting loose-lying nodules with robotic vehicles strikes me as a game-changer. I look forward to working with TMC to execute its forward-looking mission and maximize value to shareholders and stakeholders.”