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Dr. Laureen Meroueh

Founder and CEO

Hertha Metals

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Hertha Metals

Dr. Laureen Meroueh is the Founder and CEO of Hertha Metals. She's the first woman inventor in iron and steelmaking history to build a company around her breakthrough: the world's first single-step, coal-free high purity iron and steelmaking process.

Hertha Metals is rethinking how we make iron and steel. The company has developed a novel single-step process that turns lower-grade iron ore directly into molten iron or steel, including the iron needed for rare-earth magnets used in electric vehicles, defense systems, and other critical technologies. Hertha has demonstrated the technology at ton-per-day pilot scale and is now breaking ground on the United States’ first domestic high purity iron production plant for the rare earth magnets industry.

Dr. Meroueh holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science from MIT with a graduate minor in Entrepreneurship and Business, plus dual bachelor's degrees in Civil and Mechanical Engineering. She is widely recognized for her leadership and technical innovations, having received honors such as MIT’s 2026 Innovator 35 Under 35, Forbes 30 Under 30, MIT Energy Initiative Fellow sponsored by ExxonMobil, Breakthrough Energy Innovator Fellow, and World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer

Sessions & Presentations

Fireside Chat

Inside the Investment Decision: What Private Capital Looks for in Critical Minerals Projects

Using Hertha Metals as a real-world case study, the discussion explores what investors saw in the company, what milestones helped reduce perceived risk, and how the company positioned its technology, market opportunity and execution plan to attract capital.

The investor perspectives from Clean Energy Ventures will provide insight into what private capital is actually looking for at the early and growth stages. Khosla identifies Hertha as a portfolio company focused on low-emission steel, while Breakthrough Energy has highlighted Hertha as a technology addressing the challenge of producing iron and steel from a wider range of ores. Tie this into the magnetic supply chain.

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