Munich Startup: What does your startup do? What problem do you solve?
Dr. Max Werner, founder and CEO of Hades Mining: Hades Mining is building Europe's first technology-driven mining and energy platform. Our goal is to make geothermal energy and critical raw materials accessible right here in Europe – sustainably, independently, and scalably. Today, we import almost all critical raw materials from unsafe regions of the world while simultaneously being dependent on fossil energy sources. This makes us vulnerable and expensive. Conventional drilling and extraction methods quickly reach their limits, especially in the complex European geology. This is precisely where we come in: With our approach, we can economically exploit deeper energy sources and raw material deposits that were previously inaccessible. In doing so, we are contributing to Europe's energy and raw material sovereignty – one of the major challenges of this decade.
New technologies for Europe's geological challenges
Munich Startup: But that's been around for a long time!
Dr. Max Werner: At first glance, this is true – Geothermal energy and mining has, of course, been around for a long time. However, in Europe, most known methods have reached their limits. Deep drilling is extremely expensive, often takes years, and frequently fails due to the harsh geology. At the same time, massive environmental impacts occur. This is precisely where we come in. We are rethinking the entire process and developing technologies specifically tailored to Europe's geological conditions. This allows us to tap into deposits and energy sources that were previously simply inaccessible or uneconomical.
Munich Startup: What is your founding story?
Dr. Max Werner: The idea for Hades Mining didn't originate in a lab, but in discussions about Europe's future. I met Björn last year when he was still COO at Isar Aerospace. We initially talked about space travel, but our exchange quickly turned to the technologies that could help Europe overcome its energy and raw material dependence.
We realized that the biggest bottleneck wasn't the resource itself, but the systems we used to access it—drilling. During this phase, Dan, then an applied physicist at Marvel Fusion, joined us. With him, we were able to embed our ideas even more deeply in physics.
Joint discussions led to initial tests, tests developed into a clear technological concept, and ultimately, our conviction and results led us to attract renowned investors. This is how Hades Mining – with the aim of solving one of Europe's most difficult technical bottlenecks and redefining access to energy and critical raw materials.
Bureaucracy, vision and Munich lifestyle
Munich Startup: What have been your biggest challenges so far?
Dr. Max Werner: For me personally, it was a bit of a culture shock: I founded my first startup in London – quickly, easily, and with pure founder-friendliness. When I returned to Germany, I realized that here, you not only need patience for every signature, but often also a notary appointment. And a separate savings account for the fees. In short: Starting a business in Germany is doable – but certainly not for the faint of heart.
Munich Startup: Where would you like to be in one year, where in five years?
Dr. Max Werner: In a year, we want to test our first own drilling system under real conditions – and thus demonstrate that our technology can truly solve Europe's toughest geological problem.
In five years, we want to be Europe's leading tech mining company, not only enabling geothermal projects but also securing access to critical raw materials. In short: In five years, no one should be able to say that Europe is failing due to a lack of drilling technology.
Munich Startup: How have you experienced Munich as a startup location so far?
Dr. Max Werner: In summer, it's almost too beautiful to sit in an office: jogging along the Isar in the morning, admiring the surfers on the Eisbach at lunchtime, and discussing the next deep tech revolution in the beer garden in the evening. But that's exactly what makes Munich so special for us: a lifestyle that attracts talent, combined with a fantastic deep technology ecosystem. For founders like us, it's the perfect mix.
Munich Startup: Risk or security?
Dr. Max Werner: Security is for savings accounts. We've chosen risk—but a risk with purpose: to make Europe's future more independent and sustainable.
