Summary:

- Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and other high-profile investors have backed a mining startup called Kobold, which has raised $537 million in funding.
- Kobold is focused on developing new technologies to extract critical minerals and metals needed for renewable energy and electric vehicles, such as copper, lithium, and cobalt.
- The company aims to address the growing global demand for these resources while also minimizing the environmental impact of mining operations through the use of innovative technologies.