What if the next great resource boom isn't on land, but thousands of feet below the ocean's surface?

In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur, Mark Perkins sits down with Oliver Gunasekara, founder and CEO of Impossible Metals, to discuss one of the most controversial and potentially transformative industries of the next decade: deep-sea mining.

As demand for AI, electric vehicles, data centers, batteries, and advanced technologies continues to surge, the need for critical minerals has never been greater. Oliver explains how Impossible Metals is developing autonomous underwater robotics designed to harvest critical minerals from the ocean floor while minimizing environmental impact.

Oliver shares the entrepreneurial journey behind building a venture-backed technology company operating at the intersection of robotics, mining, sustainability, national security, and energy independence. He discusses the challenges of scaling breakthrough technology, competing in global commodity markets, raising capital, hiring mission-driven teams, and moving quickly in highly regulated industries.

Mark and Oliver also explore the future of AI infrastructure, the growing importance of rare earth materials, leadership lessons from world-class innovators, and why founders must learn to balance bold vision with disciplined execution.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, investor, technology leader, engineer, or simply curious about the future of energy and critical resources, this conversation offers a fascinating look at one of the most important challenges facing modern industry.

In This Episode:
• The future of deep-sea mining and critical minerals
• How underwater robotics are changing resource extraction
• Why AI and data centers require massive mineral infrastructure
• The national security implications of rare earth materials
• Scaling a startup in a highly regulated industry
• Leadership lessons from technology pioneers
• Building mission-driven teams around ambitious goals
• Environmental trade-offs in the global energy transition
• Startup execution, perseverance, and long-term vision
• The entrepreneurial mindset required to tackle impossible problems

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📌 Find Out More About Oliver Gunasekara and Impossible Metals:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gunasekara/
https://impossiblemetals.com