Tech Giants Secure Direct Deals With Mining Firms
Companies are pursuing equity investments and supply agreements to guarantee critical metals for data center infrastructure.
Updated on Oct. 15, 2026 in Data Centers
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Should technology companies invest directly in mining firms to secure metal supplies for their products?
Technology companies are increasingly bypassing traditional supply chains by forming direct equity and metal supply agreements with mining firms. The move is driven by a surge in demand for materials essential to building data centers and AI infrastructure.
Why it matters
Rising geopolitical uncertainty and perceived scarcity have pushed tech firms to secure long-term access to critical resources. This shift ensures the materials needed for hardware expansion remain available despite global market instability.
Apple solidified its supply chain in July 2025 with a $500 million agreement with MP Materials for rare earth magnets. Meanwhile, Anglo American is negotiating the sale of its Brazilian nickel operations to MMG for up to $500 million.
The players
Apple
This multinational technology company designs and manufactures consumer electronics and is currently investing in rare earth material supplies.
Amazon Web Services
This cloud computing subsidiary of Amazon provides infrastructure and services to businesses and is securing copper supplies for data centers.
Anglo American
This global mining company operates across multiple continents and is in the process of a major strategic reorganization through mergers and asset sales.
Duncan Wanblad
He serves as the chief executive officer of Anglo American and recently represented the company at the Financial Times Mining Summit.
Rio Tinto
This global mining and metals corporation provides essential materials and is utilizing new leaching technologies to support tech infrastructure.
The details
Tech firms are exploring equity investments in mining companies to stabilize supply lines, while miners are adopting new methods like Nuton bioleaching to meet high-tech specifications. Rio Tinto is already applying these technologies to supply copper directly to Amazon Web Services.
Timeline
July 2025: Apple signed a $500 million agreement with MP Materials.
September 2026: Earliest projected completion date for the Teck Resources merger.
October 8, 2026: Duncan Wanblad addressed the FT Mining Summit.
March 2027: Latest projected completion date for the Teck Resources merger.
Market Landscape
This trend represents a broader shift as tech firms move to vertically integrate their supply chains, mirroring historical efforts by automakers to control raw material pipelines. Such direct intervention marks a departure from traditional procurement and signals an intense arms race to dominate AI-ready infrastructure.
These supply agreements aim to prevent hardware shortages that could otherwise lead to increased costs for cloud computing and consumer electronics. By securing raw materials, companies hope to keep the pricing of digital services stable despite fluctuating global resource markets.
The takeaway
The move toward direct investment shows that tech companies no longer view basic industrial metals as commodities that can be easily sourced from the open market. This strategy shifts the relationship between tech and mining, making supply chain security a core component of digital competitiveness.
What happens next
Anglo American expects to finalize its merger with Teck Resources in a window between September 2026 and March 2027.
Further reading
For additional context on the infrastructure supporting current trends, browse our latest Data Centers section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Miningmx.
Live Poll
Should technology companies invest directly in mining firms to secure metal supplies for their products?
