#96 - Assia Kasdi - Milvus Advanced - "Can we create metals like we create shampoos?"

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🌊 The New Alchemy of Clean Energy

Why the future of climate-tech may depend on replacing critical minerals altogether.

We’re joined by Assia, CEO of Milvus Advanced, an Oxford-born materials startup developing earth-abundant nanoalloys that can replace critical minerals like platinum, iridium, and indium.

What started as a PhD research project became a mission to solve one of the biggest hidden bottlenecks in the energy transition: our dependence on scarce, geopolitically concentrated materials.

In this episode, we explore why the clean energy transition is ultimately a materials challenge, and what it takes to build entirely new metals from scratch.

In our conversation, we covered:

→ Why Assia abandoned the idea that renewables are inherently sustainable

→ The journey from Oxford chemistry labs to venture-backed founder

→ How a 13th-century story about “German Silver” inspired a breakthrough in nanomaterials

→ Why most climate technologies depend on fragile mineral supply chains

→ The hidden role of metals in batteries, hydrogen, semiconductors, and clean energy systems

→ Why performance alone isn’t enough—and why cost always wins

→ How Milvus is creating substitutes for platinum-group metals using abundant materials like copper and nickel

→ The challenge of scaling chemistry from milligrams to kilograms—and eventually tons

→ What founders can learn from academia about risk, persistence, and conviction

→ Why climate startups are increasingly becoming sovereignty and defense companies

One of Assia’s most striking observations is that technologies don’t actually care which element they’re using. They care about the properties. The opportunity is about recreating critical minerals behavior with materials that are abundant, affordable, and locally available.

If that thesis proves true, the implications stretch far beyond climate.

✨ Leave a review and share the episode if this conversation challenged the way you think about growth, innovation, and sustainability.