US Pentagon invests $25 million in rare‑earth startup ReElement

The U.S. Department of Defense announced a $25 million investment in ReElement Technologies, a rare‑earth processing startup planning a commercial facility in Marion, Indiana. The funding will support equipment to recycle magnets and produce rare‑earth elements, germanium and gallium for military applications such as fighter jets, missiles and submarines.

The move is part of a broader Trump‑administration effort to rebuild a domestic critical‑minerals supply chain and reduce reliance on China, which currently dominates rare‑earth refining and magnet production. Recent policy changes have accelerated federal support for U.S. companies to develop rare‑earth refining capacity, with additional funding and partnerships aimed at removing historic bottlenecks in the sector.