HARDTECH FORUM
Sept 26, 2026
HardTech Forum Denver: The New Physics of Mineral Discovery
The energy transition runs on copper, lithium, and rare earths. The easy deposits are gone, and securing a stable supply will take new advances in sub-surface sensing and exploration technology.
This September, MistyWest brings HardTech Forum to Denver in partnership with the Denver Mineral Exploration Symposium. Join leaders in exploration geology, R&D, finance, and policy for an evening on changing thinking in mineral exploration.
5:00 – 6:30 PM | Panel Discussion
East Classroom Building
45 minutes panel discussion with Adam Simon, Gustav Nortje, Danny Donahue and Tem Tumurbat, followed by 15 minutes of open Q&A.
6:30 – 9:00 PM | Reception & Networking
Geology Museum
Food, drinks, and plenty of time to connect with a room spanning exploration geology, R&D, finance, and policy. The reception is in the Museum of Mines; home to one of Colorado’s two Apollo 17 moon rocks, the historic Colorado State Mineral Collection, and one of the world’s most comprehensive public displays of Colorado minerals.
EVENT DETAILS
Doors open at 5:30pm
Panel Discussion starts at 6:30pm
Networking from 8pm until close
TICKETS
General Admission is $30 and includes food and refreshments.
OUR PANELISTS
Adam Simon, Co-Founder of VectOres Science, Inc.
Adam Simon is a world-renowned expert and thought leader on critical minerals with 25 years of global experience in mineral resources. He is a Co-Founder of VectOres Science, Inc., which provides decision intelligence that helps mining companies accelerate decision points from years to days by using non-invasive methodologies to generate real-time data that significantly improve targeting confidence, reducing decision-making time, eliminating unnecessary drilling, and recovering more metal from existing operations. As the Arthur F. Thurnau professor of earth and environmental sciences at the University of Michigan he co-authored the authoritative book Mineral Resources, Economics and the Environment and published 130 peer-reviewed papers across energy and mineral supply chains. His research spans seven continents and 40 countries, with a focus on the commodities underpinning the global energy transition. He has served on the global governing Board of the Society of Economic Geologists and holds a Ph.D. in Geology from the University of Maryland, globally ranked as a top 10 program in geochemistry.
Gustav Nortje, Chief Geoscientist at Newmont Corporation
Gustav Nortje, is Chief Geoscientist at Newmont Corporation, based in Denver, where he leads a multidisciplinary team of geoscientists applying orebody knowledge, new technology, and data-driven methods across the mining value chain – from greenfields targeting through to mine operations. With 20+ years of exploration experience, he brings the operator’s perspective on what it takes to move new exploration technology from the lab into the field.
Danny Donahue, Head of Growth at Terra AI
Danny Donahue is a geologist and entrepreneur who serves as Head of Growth at Terra AI, an orebody modeling and drill target optimization startup backed by Khosla Ventures, Rio Tinto and BHP. Danny leads business development and partnerships across mining and energy, helping some of the world’s largest resources companies deploy purpose-built physics-based AI systems to accelerate mission-critical exploration and development projects. A Williams College geosciences graduate, he previously cofounded and led a startup and worked as an analyst and consultant in finance. Recently, as a vocal supporter of innovation in mining and energy, he has testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee on subsurface AI and spoken at the Geological Society of London on AI’s role in geoscience.
Tem Tumurbat, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Nomadic Venture Partners
Tem is the Co-founder and Managing Partner of Nomadic Venture Partners (NVP), a pioneering early-stage VC firm and the category creator for Metals Transition investing. A recognized leader at the intersection of critical minerals, deep tech, and venture capital, Tem’s expertise is rooted in his hands-on background as a mining engineer at Newmont Mining Corporation and his formidable track record in private equity.
Before founding NVP, he was an investment professional at Resource Capital Funds (RCF), where he mastered the art of guiding companies through the industrial “valleys of death.” In this role, he successfully commercialized complex technologies and executed M&As that delivered hundreds of millions of dollars to investors.
OUR PARTNERS
HardTech Forum is made possible by the gracious contributions from our partners. Thanks to their support, we will continue bringing the community together for years to come.
GOLD
From initial R&D and prototyping to proof of concept and MVP, Intent act as partners to their clients, helping them create innovative product concepts and make their vision a reality.
SILVER
Nordic Semiconductor plays a key role in the realization of the wireless future. Their award-winning Bluetooth Low Energy solutions pioneered ultra-low power wireless, making them the global market leader.
Boast combines in-house human expertise with the latest AI capabilities to deliver a complete, maximized and defensible R&D tax credit claim.