Mining software startup Optimal Slope secures £400k from Digital Catapult
This article covers a Digital Catapult investment on 17 October 2025 in Optimal Slope, a London mining software startup that automates and optimises the design of open-pit mine pit walls, founded by Stefano Utili. The investment totalled £400k, led by Digital Catapult; no other investors were disclosed.
What does Optimal Slope do?
Optimal Slope provides software that automates, optimises and digitalises the design of mine pit walls. It reduces the amount of waste rock removed and energy use to lower operating costs and carbon emissions.
Why is Optimal Slope useful?
Problem
Mining companies face manual, trial-and-error pit wall design that wastes time and materials. This causes excess waste rock, higher costs, and increased carbon emissions from excavation.
Solution
Optimal Slope explains that it automates and optimises pit wall design with a software platform, removing manual trial-and-error. This reduces waste excavation, lowers costs, and cuts carbon emissions from mining operations.
How much did Optimal Slope raise?
Optimal Slope raised £400k in a convertible loan note from Digital Catapult. This makes it the 50th largest funding round in October 2025 (52 recorded). It stands 494th for 2025 (524 total) in the Startupmag database, as of 17 October 2025.
For details on how Startupmag compiles its rankings, view our Methodology.
Who invested in Optimal Slope?
Key investors include:
- Digital Catapult: A UK innovation centre that invests in and supports early-stage deep tech companies, focusing on scaling deep tech solutions and driving industrial adoption.
In the funding announcement, Susan Bowen from Digital Catapult said:
Optimal Slope is demonstrating how deep tech innovation can transform the mining industry, making it cleaner, more efficient, and better aligned with the needs of the global energy transition. This investment will help the team to scale their solution internationally and showcase how deep tech can reshape essential industries for a sustainable future.
The investor added that Digital Catapult champions industrial supply chain resilience and expects its support to strengthen the resilience of critical mineral supply chains and help equip the sector to be future-ready.
If you're researching potential backers in this space:
- Explore our list of data venture capital firms in the UK
- Browse our directory of data angel investors in the UK
Who founded Optimal Slope?
Stefano Utili is the founder of Optimal Slope.
In the funding announcement, Stefano Utili explained:
Mining has a crucial role to play in the transition to renewable energy, but the industry needs to change the way it operates to gain widespread social acceptability. Our mission is to help mines become cleaner, more efficient, and more digitally advanced, and Digital Catapult's investment is a strong endorsement of our vision.
The company continued the investment will help it grow its customer base, refine its product with real-world feedback and demonstrate that mining can be both profitable and sustainable as it seeks to partner with mining leaders around the world to enact a low-carbon future.
Where is Optimal Slope based?
Optimal Slope is based in London, UK.
What sector is Optimal Slope in?
Optimal Slope operates in the green technology sector. This sector develops technologies that reduce environmental harm and cut carbon emissions. In plain terms, it builds tools to make industries cleaner and more energy efficient.
Key trends and challenges in mining:
Decarbonisation and critical mineral demand
Mining must cut emissions while supplying metals like lithium and copper for electric vehicles and renewables.
Digitalisation and optimisation
Digital tools and automation optimise excavation and reduce waste, saving energy and costs, for example pit design software.
Waste and social licence risks
Managing waste rock and tailings remains a major challenge, as failures like Brumadinho show.
For a deeper look at innovation in this space, see the data startups in the UK.
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