Hertha Metals

Hertha Metals is a privately held American metals-technology startup headquartered in the Houston, Texas area, founded in 2022 by CEO Laureen Meroueh. The company has developed Flex-HERS, a proprietary single-step process that converts low-grade iron ore or waste oxides of any format directly into molten steel or high-purity iron, powered by natural gas, hydrogen and electricity, cutting energy use and emissions versus traditional coal-based steelmaking. Hertha’s relevance to critical minerals lies in high-purity iron, a key feedstock for the rare-earth permanent magnets (such as neodymium-iron-boron) that power electric-vehicle motors and defense systems, addressing a domestic iron gap in the U.S. magnet supply chain. Operating a one-tonne-per-day pilot plant since late 2024, the company has raised more than 17 million dollars from investors including Khosla Ventures, Breakthrough Energy Fellows, Pear VC and Clean Energy Ventures, and plans a larger Texas production facility.