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Kunin Technologies

Vertical ion-exchange tech for critical metals

Head of Finance

Full-Time
$225k - $350k+ Equity
Expert
Bachelor's, MBA
New York, NY, USA+1 moreMore locations: Chattanooga, TN, USA
In PersonMust be willing to relocate to Chattanooga, Tennessee. Regular travel to counterparty sites, investors, and the partner plant.
Finance & BankingCorporate Finance & FP&A

About the job

Requirements
  • A bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, economics, or engineering, with at least 8 years of finance experience, including at least one Controller, Head of Finance, or senior investment or banking role.
  • Experience running or establishing a close process inside a venture-backed industrial or hardware company, with knowledge of institutional diligence expectations.
  • Ability to build financial models and redline agreements for the same transaction; exposure to streams, royalties, offtake, project finance, or metals and mining is a strong plus.
  • Fluency in government contract cost accounting, or ability to become fluent during the first quarter.
  • Ability to demonstrate a trajectory toward earning the CFO role.
  • Must be willing to relocate to Chattanooga, Tennessee.
  • Must sign Kunin's standard nondisclosure agreement before interviewing.
  • Extended hours and weekends are frequently required to support critical project milestones.
Responsibilities
  • Own monthly close, GAAP discipline, audit readiness, and the outside CPA relationship.
  • Manage cash and treasury, runway, spend controls, payroll and benefits, tax, and insurance renewals.
  • Manage government contract finance, including cost accounting, indirect rates, timekeeping, and invoicing across federal awards.
  • Lead financial planning and analysis, including the operating model, unit economics per program, metal price sensitivity, and board and investor reporting.
  • Structure deals with the CEO, including joint ventures, streaming and royalty-style recovery agreements, offtake agreements, and debt and equipment financing, from modeling through redline and signature.
  • Lead the Series A process and data room, and develop the capital strategy for equity, debt, and project finance as the deployment portfolio scales.
  • Build the finance organization, including a controller, analysts, and their supporting systems.
  • Travel regularly to counterparty sites, investors, and the partner plant.
Desired Qualifications
  • A CPA, CFA, or MBA is preferred.
  • Exposure to streams, royalties, offtake, project finance, or metals and mining is a strong plus.

About the company

Kunin Technologies focuses on recovering critical metals using vertically integrated ion-exchange technology. It targets by-product critical metals and promotes domestic, US-based mineral processing, aiming to rebuild American ion-exchange capability. The company’s technology uses ion-exchange processes to selectively capture and recover metals from industrial streams, enabling purification and recovery of critical metals within the U.S. infrastructure. Across competitors, Kunin differentiates itself by its emphasis on vertical integration, domestic manufacturing, and a narrative directed at industrial and policy stakeholders that highlights the offshoring of mineral production and the need to revitalize domestic capabilities. Its goal is to be the leader in American critical metals by providing the technology and capability to recover these metals domestically, reducing reliance on foreign supply chains.

Company Size

1-10

Company Stage

Seed

Total Funding

$1M

Headquarters

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Founded

2025

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • DOE funding in April 2026 validates Kunin's gallium recovery thesis for defense supply chains.
  • Kunin says it raised $1.75 million and is piloting with partners.
  • Export controls on Chinese rare-earth technology keep domestic processing premium and politically supported.

What critics are saying

  • Kunin remains pre-scale; piloting must prove purity, cost, and throughput before 2027.
  • One failed DOE pilot would crush credibility with mines, smelters, and later customers.
  • If gallium economics disappoint, Kunin becomes a science project with no durable buyer.

What makes Kunin Technologies unique

  • Kunin is one of five DOE TRACE-Ga awardees, targeting 12 tons yearly gallium.
  • It claims vertically integrated resin, process, and metal-production capabilities, rare outside China.
  • Its ion-exchange platform targets byproduct metals from mine waste, smelters, and refineries.

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Benefits

  • Gym Membership
  • Flexible Work Hours
  • Company Equity

Company News

Teknovation.biz
Mar 17th, 2026
Kunin develops chemical process to recover critical minerals from mine waste

The Chattanooga startup is developing a selective separation process designed to unlock overlooked minerals and reduce America’s reliance on foreign sources.