London-listed Aterian has announced the launch of expanded trading operations in Rwanda, marked by the first consignment of responsibly sourced tantalum/niobium concentrate, also known as coltan, being transferred to the company’s global trading partner.

The company said its partnership with a major international metals and minerals trading house provided an established global sales and marketing platform. This arrangement gave Aterian access to a network of downstream buyers and allowed the business to scale up its operations more quickly.

Aterian explained on September 15 that before commercial sales could begin, its partner carried out due diligence and extensive trials to test product quality and compliance. These checks were conducted with a group of artisanal and small-scale mining suppliers in Rwanda who follow standards aligned with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Following the successful completion of this process, Aterian’s wholly-owned Rwandan subsidiary Eastinco has now activated its supply chain of responsibly sourced tantalum and niobium and has begun commercial trading.

To support the expansion, Aterian has secured a mezzanine loan facility of $250 000. The company confirmed that the funds had already been fully drawn down and invested into trading operations, specifically to acquire mineral concentrates sourced from Rwanda.

“The successful completion of supplier trials and compliance checks, combined with the injection of new trading capital, enables us to now move forward at pace. We anticipate a significant increase in trading volumes over the coming weeks as we activate multiple supply relationships and scale procurement operations with our trade finance partners.

“This is a pivotal moment for our trading business, laying the commercial foundation for growth across the region. With our operations, risk management systems and partnerships now in place, we are confident in our ability to demonstrate complete traceability compliance whilst building a robust and high-integrity supply chain that can support substantial volume growth and underpin long-term revenue generation for the group,” Aterian CEO Simon Rollason said.

Aterian stated that all mineral supplies were sourced in line with the International Tin Supply Chain Initiative and fullies comply with OECD due diligence guidance. This involved rigorous on-site audits, verification of mine origins, and conflict-free checks to ensure the legitimacy and integrity of the supply chain.

The company also emphasised that every supplier was vetted through a detailed onboarding and audit process covering operational, legal, and ethical standards. These procedures included on-site assessments, confirmation of mine origin, and verification of conflict-free status. Aterian said these checks would remain ongoing and were essential for maintaining a steady supply of materials.

According to the company, the partnership with its trading house both validated its business model and created a clear commercial pathway to establish a vertically integrated exploration and trading platform for critical minerals across East Africa.

The commitment to traceability and responsible sourcing is also intended to reassure downstream buyers who are increasingly focused on environmental, social and governance standards.

Aterian confirmed that export sales at container-scale volumes were now set to begin.