Appian opens office in Latin America to bolster critical minerals investments

The new office will support Appian’s investment team in the region, a region which the group estimates requires more than $220-billion of investment in the next decade to unlock its mining and metals potential.

The office will serve as a regional hub for Appian’s investment activities in Latin America, enabling closer collaboration with local partners, governments and industry stakeholders. It will strengthen the group’s ability to originate and execute investments at scale across the region’s most important mining jurisdictions.

“The expansion reflects Appian’s long-term conviction in Latin America as one of the most critical geographies for critical mineral supply chains,” says Appian managing partner Guillermo Kaelin.

Brazil, Peru and Chile are at the core of investment opportunities, with Brazil requiring $70-billion of investment over the next five years to support the expansion of nickel, copper and rare earths production. In turn, Peru and Chile account for more than 35% of global copper production.

To sustain this position and expand output across a broader range of critical minerals, Peru is expected to require $63-billion of investment over the next decade and Chile about $55-billion.

Appian also believes Argentina and Mexico offer increasingly attractive investment opportunities with their world-class endowments and growing openness to long-term private capital.

Since 2026, Appian has made 13 investments into Latin America which have resulted in high-quality mining developments and value creation.

The group reviews more than 1 000 investment opportunities each year and maintains a proprietary database of more than 4 000 mining projects globally.

This capability and enhanced on-the-ground deal flow are underpinned by a senior Latin America-based team that is focused on identifying, advancing and optimising mining projects to deliver meaningful value for the company’s partners.

For example, Appian launched a $1-billion partnership with the International Finance Corporation in October last year, with the partners focusing on providing capital and expertise to accelerate the responsible development of critical mineral projects in Latin America and Africa.

Kaelin concludes that Appian is uniquely positioned to capitalise on growth opportunities across Latin America and opening an office in the region marks an important step in strengthening the group’s presence in one of the world’s most important regions for critical minerals.