Mfikeyi Makayi

Mfikeyi Makayi leads KoBold Metals Africa, the African arm of KoBold Metals, an AI-powered minerals exploration company backed by Bill Gates' Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Jeff Bezos, and other prominent investors. KoBold uses machine learning, big data analytics, and scientific computing to discover critical mineral deposits — including lithium, cobalt, copper, and nickel — essential for the global clean energy transition.

Under Makayi's leadership, KoBold Metals Africa is applying cutting-edge AI and geoscience to explore mineral-rich regions across the African continent. The company's approach combines decades of geological data with proprietary AI models to identify high-probability exploration targets, dramatically reducing the time and cost of mineral discovery.

Makayi's work is significant not only for advancing clean energy supply chains but also for ensuring that Africa benefits equitably from the global energy transition.