A Problem Lived, Not Studied

blueprint, powered by Imvelo, is the work of two mining veterans: Sharna and her co-founder Dr Alan Bye. Sharna has spent more than 25 years in the resources sector. She holds a first-class double degree in chemical engineering and science and a doctorate in chemical engineering, and was a BHP program director working across strategy, M&A, major capital projects, technology commercialisation and remote operating centres. Her career began in the 1990s as the first female employee at a Rio Tinto-owned coal mine.

That history shapes everything about the product. "We have lived the problem that we have solved for," Sharna says.

The problem is how mining's biggest decisions get made. Choices about infrastructure, fleets, technology and life-of-mine planning are deeply interconnected, yet they are typically assessed one at a time, in sequence, across separate tools and teams. Analysis can take months, and a decision made in isolation can lock in capital for decades and leave value stranded elsewhere in the chain.

Mining Theory in Code

blueprint flips that approach. Instead of solving each link in the chain separately, the platform solves them together: resource, mine shape, cut-off grade, extraction and sorting, material movement, processing and logistics, with capital and operating cost underpinning every decision.

Built by people who have done value-chain planning and valuation for a living, blueprint codifies the industry's standard economic models. Teams can compare scenarios side by side on NPV, risked NPV and IRR, run full Monte Carlo simulations to see how robust a plan really is, and trace the outcome right through to fleet electrification and where infrastructure sits on the mine plan. An embedded optimiser and an AI assistant speed up set-up and analysis. The company says work the industry typically takes six months to do, blueprint does in a week.

The applications are the questions boards and site leaders wrestle with every day: where technology pays and where it doesn't, how to decarbonise without breaking the business case, how to lift value from assets already owned, and how to stress-test a deal before bidding.

And the timing matters. "Mining investment is growing massively to meet the global electrification tidal wave," Sharna says. More capital flowing into the ground means more high-stakes decisions on new mines, fleets and infrastructure, and less room to get them wrong.

Perth Residency Week: Mapping the Path to Scale

blueprint arrived in Perth with proof of concept trials already underway with Rio Tinto, and a business that is growing fast. That growth brings its own challenge. "We have many options and need to develop a set of hypotheses, tests and signals to quickly establish the growth trajectory," Sharna says. "We are looking forward to discussions on scaling pathways."

It is a disciplined approach, and one that matches the biggest lesson she has taken from this year: "Test, learn, pivot and action!"

The next milestone is investment to scale the business so it can support a large clientele. Perth puts blueprint in the room with the operators, partners and investors who can help get it there.

Being together in person also cuts both ways. "The ability to connect in person with other start-ups who are on the same journey provides a unique experience for us all to scale faster," Sharna says. "Our blueprint team are experienced miners and we are looking forward to helping the other start-ups through sharing our industry insights."

For founders weighing up whether to apply, her advice is simple: "Founders Factory can provide your start-up the experience, insights and catalyst that you need to take your business to the next level. That's worth applying for!"

blueprint is part of the fifth Mining Tech cohort delivered by Founders Factory in partnership with Rio Tinto.