AuROGEL - Turning E-Waste into Green Gold

The Opportunity

Gold Recycling: An Attractive Opportunity

There is an increasing demand for "green gold"

Surging gold prices

Global gold prices have reached record highs, driven by strong demand from central banks, electronics manufacturers, and investors, surging over 50% since early 2025.

Switzerland at the heart of global gold trade

Switzerland is one of the world's foremost physical gold hubs, and the leading global gold refiner, processing ~1,600 tonnes - about 34% of global refined gold output (4,700 tonnes).

Untapped gold in electronic waste

In 2024 alone, global e-waste contained an estimated ~270 tonnes of gold, most of which remains unrecovered, representing billions in lost value.

Current Methods are Harmful and Inefficient

...yet current recycling methods are inefficient, toxic and lack transparency

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① Billions Lost

Only about 20% of gold contained in e-waste is recovered, via a lengthy and inefficient process.

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② Lack of Traceability

Limited supply-chain transparency prevents refiners and brands from accessing verified, low-carbon "green gold."

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③ Detrimental for the Environment

Traditional recovery methods rely on smelting and chemical leaching (cyanide, mercury) - energy-intensive, toxic, and unsustainable.

Our Solution

AuROGEL™

A novel method developed at ETH Zurich

Stemmed from research led by renown Prof. Raffaele Mezzenga at ETH Zurich. Utilizes a protein aerogel: a sponge-like material that selectively captures gold from e-waste. Made from whey, a food industry byproduct, accessible, adaptable, circular solution.

High Gold Recovery

Up to 99% of gold captured from e-waste — unmatched efficiency.

Traceable & Circular

Produces fully verifiable "green gold" with no cyanide or hazardous waste.

Scalable & Low-Cost

Modular near-source units process up to 5 ktonnes/year, enabling localized, circular gold recovery.

How It Works

From Dairy Waste to Green Gold

A clean process that turns two waste streams into value

E-Waste Collection

End-of-life electronics are delivered to local recycling centers

Leaching

Circuit boards are processed to extract gold ions in acid bath

Aerogel Adsorption

Protein aerogel cartridges (made from whey) selectively capture gold

Heat Treatment

Gold is released as elemental metal through simple heating

Pure Gold

Refinery-grade gold nuggets ready for manufacturing supply chains

Products containing AuROGEL's metals have a lower carbon footprint and support growing consumer demand for sustainable and ethical products.

The Mini-Refinery Revolution

What makes us different from traditional smelters

Near-Source Processing

E-waste gets shipped to massive smelters in Europe or worse, landfilled in Asia. AuROGEL mini-refineries sit right at recycling centers.

Low Capex

Traditional smelters cost billions to build. Our units cost only $1 million.

2-3x Cheaper to Operate

Lower energy requirements and no toxic chemical disposal costs.

100x More Gold Per Ton

E-waste contains 100 times more gold per ton than any gold mine on Earth.

Modular & Scalable

One unit processes 200 tons of e-waste per year and produces $4 million worth of refinery-grade gold.

Container-Sized

Fully automated container-sized refinery that can be deployed anywhere.

Every Recycling Center Becomes a Gold Mine

No more shipping waste across continents. No more toxic chemicals. Just clean, traceable gold produced where the waste is generated.

Our mission is simple: AuROGEL reinvents urban mining, using mini-refineries to extract gold from e-waste right at the source, creating a global network of sustainable, city-based metal hubs.

Our Founding Team

A solid team combining tech expertise, industry insight, and business acumen

DR. MOHAMMAD PEYDAYESH

Co-Founder & CTO

Senior scientist and lecturer at ETH Zürich specializing in sustainable materials & processes, waste valorization, and circular-economy solutions. Experienced innovation project manager (PMP®) led the development of green aurogels for eco-friendly gold recovery from e-waste.

ALEX KHACHATURYAN

Co-Founder & CEO

Engineer with experience in gold mining, investment banking, and e-waste recycling. Builds industrial startups: raising capital, forging partnerships, and driving go-to-market execution.

PROF. RAFFAELE MEZZENGA

Co-Founder & Scientific Advisor

A full professor at ETH Zürich and the head of Laboratory of Food and Soft Materials. Leads the groundbreaking research behind AuROGEL's gold extraction technology. Co-founder of two successful ETH spin-offs, translating cutting edge research into market-ready technologies.

ENRICO BOSCHI

Co-Founder & Head Engineering

PhD candidate at EMPA in Sustainable Materials and Process Engineering. Co-developed the protein-based method for gold recovery from e-waste, combining cutting-edge research with hands-on industrial application and venture-building experience.

Get Started

Ready to Partner with Us?

Whether you're a recycler, refinery, or manufacturer, we'd love to hear from you.

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📧 Email: info@aurogel.ch

📍 Location: Zürich, Switzerland

Every City is a Gold Mine