During a North Pole expedition, explorer Eric Herrera made an intriguing discovery—a bacterium capable of producing enzymes that dissolve rock and release embedded metals without toxic chemicals. Pretty wild, right? This breakthrough caught the attention of fellow innovator Evans, and together they co-founded Maverick to scale this eco-friendly metal extraction tech. The startup just secured a $19 million seed funding round this year, signaling serious investor confidence in the potential. It's the kind of environmental play that resonates with the broader Web3 community pushing for sustainable solutions.