Phoenix Tailings' Techstars Journey
July 16, 2026
Discover how a full-circle Techstars connection led to Phoenix Tailings acquiring Machinery Partner to scale America's critical minerals infrastructure.
Nicholas Myers is the CEO and co-founder of Phoenix Tailings (Techstars 2020), a Boston-based critical minerals company rapidly becoming a cornerstone of the effort to rebuild America’s rare earth processing capabilities. Before founding Phoenix Tailings, Myers worked at Techstars, supporting early-stage founders as they scaled.
The roots of Phoenix Tailings run deep within the Techstars network. Clement Cazalot, then the Managing Director of Techstars Boston, invested in Phoenix Tailings during the 2020 accelerator class. That same year, Cazalot also invested in Machinery Partner, a Boston-based industrial automation company, later stepping in as its CEO to scale the business in 2021.
Last month, those paths crossed again when Phoenix Tailings acquired Machinery Partner. The acquisition brings Cazalot onto the Phoenix leadership team as Chief Operating Officer and integrates Machinery Partner's specialized AI and automation technology directly into Phoenix’s platform. This move aligns with Phoenix Tailings' broader vision: modernizing America’s critical minerals supply chain by combining advanced chemistry, industrial hardware, and digital intelligence into a single, future-proof operation.
"Rare earth independence will not be achieved by simply rebuilding legacy industrial systems," Cazalot said. "The future belongs to companies that combine advanced chemistry, industrial hardware, and digital intelligence into one integrated technology platform."
The acquisition comes at a pivotal moment for the company. The U.S. Department of War’s Office of Strategic Capital recently announced a strategic investment initiative of approximately $1 billion with Phoenix Tailings to accelerate the domestic rare earth industrial base.
"Every team member at Phoenix Tailings understands the responsibility entrusted to us," Myers said. "This mission is bigger than any one company. It is about strengthening American industry, securing critical supply chains, and ensuring our nation has the resources it needs to thrive."
What began as two separate Techstars accelerator investments is now building the technological foundation necessary to secure the future of critical minerals in the United States under Myers’s leadership.
