Hitachi Construction Machinery selects 10 startup companies for the “LANDCROS Innovation Studios Mining Challenge” pitch event
Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. has selected 10 Winner companies from among 135 applicants to be invited to participate in a pitch and demonstration event for the “LANDCROS Innovation Studios Mining Challenge,” a project for soliciting ideas from worldwide startup companies which was announced on November 4, 2025. The selected Winner companies will present proposals based on three themes from the mining field at the pitch event to be held in Brisbane, Australia on April 16, 2026. Ultimately, one company per theme for a total of three companies will be selected as the “Grand Winners” who will go on to collaborate with Hitachi Construction Machinery.
The purpose of this pitch event is to promote collaboration between the Hitachi Construction Machinery Group and startup companies as well as to provide a forum for exchange for some 100 participants from startup companies, venture capital firms, industry stakeholders, and government officials to contribute to the development of the overall mining industry. Furthermore, on the day before the pitch event, the Winner companies will tour the service sites (Brisbane, Wacol) of Hitachi Construction Machinery (Australia) Pty Ltd. to view mining machinery and provide an opportunity for deeper mutual understanding.
As part of the “LANDCROS Innovation Studios Mining Challenge”, 10 Winner companies were selected through a rigorous review process, based on innovation, feasibility, and business growth potential, of among 135 applications submitted during the application period from November 2025 to January 2026. The Winner companies will present their proposals for the three following mining-related themes at the pitch event on April 16.
SMARTER MACHINES
| Company name | Presentation content |
| Rigid Robotics (Canada) | AI that understands shovel operation – powering operator augmentation today and autonomous excavation tomorrow. |
| Dig Robotics (Israel) | Computer vision and AI system optimizing each excavation cycle, moving more material, faster, for less. |
| FOSSA Systems (Spain) | Low-power, secure, accessible IoT and space technologies for connected fleets and deep pits beyond terrestrial coverage. |
| GECCO (Canada) | Rugged, ultra-compact & energy-efficient edge computing for remote operational environments. |
SMARTER MINE SITES
| Company name | Presentation content |
| IntelliSense.io (UK) | Scientific-AI powered process optimization that connects the mining value chain to deliver measurable net metal recovery gains. |
| NTWIST (Canada) | An AI-optimized decision layer aligning plans to constraints from mine-to-mill. |
| Strayos (USA) | Visual AI across the mine-to-mill value chain, optimizing drilling, blasting, and crushing. |
LOW IMPACT & SUSTAINABLE MINING
(reducing the environmental impact across mining operations and achieving sustainable resource mining)
| Company name | Presentation content |
| Weeefiner (Finland) | Next-generation water treatment recovering dissolved copper and critical metals from process and wastewater. |
| Clear Carbon (Australia) | Mining-grade emissions intelligence that turns fleet efficiency into verified emissions outcomes for reporting and reduction. |
| COSMOS Save Energy (Chile) | Advanced analytics and optimization technologies to cut diesel consumption in ultra-class haul trucks. |
Comment from Eiji Fukunishi, Vice President and Executive Officer and President of the Mining Business Unit
The “O” in LANDCROS stands for “Open” and reflects our desire to “openly co-create new businesses and value with external partners including startup companies and develop together.” We are pleased to have the opportunity to meet with startup companies from around the world through the “LANDCROS Innovation Studios Mining Challenge.” Going forward, we will help solve challenges and develop the mining industry through co-creation with external partners.
