We are building a circular rare earths supply chain
Our STORY
Since 2019, N9VE has been leading rare earth recovery, grounded in deep scientific and applied R&D—turning end-of-life materials into a secure European source through industrial circular pathways, and building the Magnets of the future.
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N9VE began in Aveiro (2019), inspired by nature: using macroalgae to capture and concentrate rare earths. That work set our path from day one—rare earth separation and recovery, built with the University of Aveiro and its research ecosystem.
Then we followed the market reality. Rare earth value sits in the energy transition—and above all in permanent magnets, the performance core of EVs and wind. With magnets expected to represent ~90% of rare earth market value in the coming decade, our focus became unmistakable: Magnetes.
We turned science into industrial pathways—through programmes like N9ve.REE—moving from validation to real-world readiness. Today, the same model (deep R&D + knowledge-centre partnerships + execution) has scaled beyond the first consortium: N9VE now leads and contributes to European collaborations with leading companies and top research centres, building the circular magnet value chain Europe needs.
We are closing the loop
and opening the Future
Our TEAM
N9VE’s team brings together expertise in rare earth chemistry, hydrometallurgy, industrial operations and project development. It combines long-term scientific knowledge with hands-on industrial experience, ensuring that technology development, production and scale-up are addressed in an integrated and practical manner.
The team is complemented by close collaboration with research institutions and industrial partners, allowing N9VE to operate at the interface between science, industry and European strategic priorities.
José Pinheiro-Torres
CEO
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of N9VE, José Pinheiro-Torres has been leading the company since 2019. His background combines scientific research in rare earth elements with strategic leadership, bridging early-stage research, intellectual property development and the transition to industrial rare earth recovery processes.
Paulo Lobo
COO
Chief Operating Officer and co-founder of N9VE, Paulo Lobo coordinates the company’s operational, economic and financial activities. He leads project execution, funding applications and partner coordination, supporting the industrial deployment of rare earth recovery technologies and the development of compliant European supply chains.
Bruna Silva
CIO
Chief Innovation Officer at N9VE, Bruna Silva leads the development of the company’s proprietary rare earth recovery technology. With a PhD in Chemical and Biological Engineering, she has been directly involved in designing, optimising and validating the processes underlying N9VE’s industrial rare earth recovery, bridging scientific development with operational and industrial requirements.
Ana Paula Silva
Researcher
Ana Paula Silva is a researcher at N9VE working on the development and validation of the company’s proprietary rare earth recovery processes. With a background in biotechnology and molecular and cellular biology, she contributes to experimental work, analytical validation and process optimisation supporting N9VE’s transition from research to industrial operation.
Partners & Ecosystem
Partners &
Ecosystem
N9VE operates within a high-level European ecosystem that brings together leading universities, research and technology organizations, and major industrial players across the rare earth and permanent magnet value chain.
This ecosystem combines scientific excellence, applied engineering capability and industrial scale, ensuring that N9VE’s technology is developed, operated and deployed in close alignment with real market and regulatory requirements. In parallel, N9VE is supported by experienced strategic and industrial advisors, reinforcing the robustness of its technological, financial and operational decisions.
IT ALL BEGAN HERE
N9VE’s work builds on the foundations established under the N9VE.REE project, where the scientific and technical basis for rare earth recovery from permanent magnets was developed and validated. This work was supported by competitive funding and recognised through awards, and has since evolved into an operating, proprietary process delivering market-grade rare earth oxides.