Ending China's chokehold? The Kiwi start-up using AI to create synthetic alternatives to rare earth elements

PremiumChris KeallTechnology Editor/Senior Business Writer·NZ Herald·25 Jun, 2026 03:00 AM5 mins to read‌Auckland start-up Atomic Tessellator's software is a digital laboratory where AI modelling is used to design and test new advanced materials. Video / Atomic TessellatorGlobal conflict and data centre boom-inspired shortages have made the world more keenly aware of the role of rare earth elements – many of which are mined in geopolitical hotspots.

Rare earth elements (REEs) are necessary for everything from electric vehicle (EV) drive trains to catalytic converters to fibre optic