Ab Astra

Ab Astra is redefining subsurface exploration through muography, a non-invasive technique that uses naturally occurring cosmic-ray particles to image what lies beneath the earth's surface. The company's proprietary sensors and AI-driven interpretation platform deliver up to 100× improvement in spatial resolution over existing alternatives, giving critical minerals operators — lithium, copper, uranium, rare earths — better subsurface models, lower exploration costs and sharper production decisions, while also enabling environmental monitoring of aquifers and water resources.

Founded in December 2024 by Germán Serrano and Hernán Asorey, former doctoral colleagues in Physics at Instituto Balseiro, Ab Astra closed a US$2 million pre-seed round led by Draper Cygnus, with CITES as anchor investor. The company is building its first mining-grade equipment and running proof-of-concept tests in a salt flat environment, positioning itself to capture Argentina's growing role in critical minerals production while opening a clear path toward dual-use applications in defense and nuclear energy.