The Argentine startup Ab Astra has closed a $2 million pre-seed round to commercialise muography, a technique that uses cosmic particles to obtain 3D images of the subsurface without the need for drilling. The company plans to conduct pilots in Argentina during 2026.
The deeptech startup Ab Astra, founded by physicists Germán Serrano and Hernán Asorey, has closed a $2 million pre-seed round to bring to market a technology that promises to change mining exploration: muography combined with artificial intelligence. The technique allows for the creation of three-dimensional density maps of the subsurface without having to drill, which reduces costs and geological risks.
The round was led by Draper Cygnus, with participation from CITES, Air Capital, and several angel investors. The funds will be used to develop the first commercial system focused on mining, improve imaging capabilities, and advance pilot projects with critical minerals such as lithium, copper, uranium, and rare earths.
Germán Serrano takes on the role of CEO, while Hernán Asorey will be the CTO. The startup is based in Neuquén, Argentina, a region with significant mining activity, especially in Vaca Muerta and the lithium projects in Patagonia.
What is muography and why does it matter
Muography is an imaging technique that uses muons, subatomic particles generated when cosmic rays interact with the Earth's atmosphere. Instead of emitting X-rays from a machine, it takes advantage of the natural flow of muons that pass through the rock. A detector measures how many muons arrive from different directions, and an algorithm reconstructs a 3D map of subsurface densities.
It works similarly to a computed tomography scan, but on a geological scale. According to various sources, Ab Astra is one of four or five companies in the world working on muography with this level of technical depth applied to mining.
In practice, the technology serves three main areas: pre-drilling exploration, identifying areas of different density and reducing unnecessary wells; operational monitoring, tracking internal changes in the deposit and the stability of structures; and environmental management, monitoring aquifers or the movement of water in the subsurface, a critical differential in lithium projects where water is a sensitive resource.
Business model and market context
Ab Astra does not sell equipment but offers scanning and data interpretation services to mining companies. Artificial intelligence plays a central role in interpreting the muon data, transforming complex signals into actionable geological models.
The startup joins the Argentine deeptech ecosystem, which combines frontier science with commercial application. Unlike software or SaaS startups, deeptech requires longer development cycles, teams with advanced scientific training, and patient capital. That a $2 million pre-seed round closes in 2026 for a mining muography startup indicates that there are investors willing to bet on enabling technologies in strategic sectors such as critical minerals.
The timing is not coincidental: the global demand for lithium, copper, and rare earths for the energy transition creates a market eager for tools that reduce exploratory risk. For deeptech founders and the mining sector, this operation demonstrates that capital is available for technologies that solve costly problems with applied frontier science.
Ab Astra plans to conduct its first pilots in Argentina during 2026. The company positions itself as a key player in the future of mining exploration, where seeing the subsurface without drilling will cease to be science fiction and become a commercial tool.
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