Tersa Earth Wins Salesforce Dreampitch 2025 for AI-Driven Clean Mining
Canadian startup awarded USD $200,000 for developing microbial and AI technology to recover copper and clean mine wastewater
San Francisco, California, Oct. 16, 2025 — Tersa Earth, a Vancouver-based cleantech company advancing microbial and AI-enabled solutions for mine waste remediation, has won Salesforce’s Dreampitch: AI for the Earth’s Future 2025, securing a USD $200,000 first-place award.
The competition, held during Dreamforce 2025, showcased early-stage ventures applying artificial intelligence to accelerate environmental progress. Tersa Earth was recognized for its platform that integrates microbial fuel cells and AI-driven bioprocess monitoring to treat acid mine drainage and recover valuable metals such as copper from tailings, one of the mining industry’s largest environmental challenges.
Key Highlights
Winner: Salesforce Dreampitch 2025: AI for the Earth’s Future
Prize: USD $200,000 (first-place award)
Technology Focus: Microbial fuel cells and AI-optimized remediation for acid mine drainage
Target Metals: Copper, nickel, and zinc
Impact: Converts mine wastewater into clean water and recoverable metal
Headquarters: Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
Event: Dreamforce 2025, San Francisco, CA
“This recognition reinforces our belief that nature’s intelligence, combined with data and automation, can change how industry manages environmental impact,” said Barinder Rasode, CEO and Co-Founder of Tersa Earth. “We’re proving that restoration and resource recovery can happen together.”
Broader Context
According to industry research, more than 8 billion tonnes of mine tailings are produced globally each year, nearly half from copper production (Science of the Total Environment, 2023). Industry analyses estimate that over 282 billion tonnes of abandoned tailings exist worldwide (Mining Technology, 2024). Studies suggest that 20,000 to 50,000 mine sites contribute to acid mine drainage globally, contaminating millions of litres of water each year (Journal of Cleaner Production, 2023).
Tersa Earth’s system, which is currently in pilot-stage development, is designed to neutralize acid mine drainage while selectively recovering metals from solution. Its AI software, TersaCloud™, analyzes microbial performance in real time to optimize treatment efficiency and reduce operating costs.
About Tersa Earth
Tersa Earth transforms industrial waste into valuable resources while restoring ecosystems, protecting communities, and securing a sustainable mineral supply for the global energy transition. Its proprietary technology creates clean water, recovers critical minerals, and reclaims land from legacy tailings.
Learn more at www.tersa.earth.
Media kit and images: www.tersa.earth/media
Media Contact
Marcus Cunningham
Communications, Tersa Earth
media@tersa.earth
www.tersa.earth
