MineWatch secures $900M to scale underground IoT across Chile and Peru
Chilean mining technology startup MineWatch has closed a $900,000 funding round led by Alza Mining Tech. The company, founded in 2022 by José Reyes, develops battery-powered mesh networks that monitor equipment and personnel in real time, replacing traditional Wi-Fi infrastructure and cabling in underground tunnels.
MineWatch's wireless nodes communicate via radio frequency with a range of up to 250 meters per device, enabling coverage across kilometers of tunnels without additional infrastructure. The company generates revenue from clients in Chile and recently launched operations at Cerro Lindo, its first Peruvian site.
The capital will fund commercial team expansion, new platform features, and regional growth. MineWatch currently employs 18 people and works with contractors at El Teniente in Chile alongside its Peruvian operations.
Why mining tech expansion signals urgent demand for IoT engineers in LATAM
MineWatch's scaling creates immediate pressure on technical hiring in two of Latin America's largest mining markets. The company's wireless mesh architecture requires engineers with expertise in radio frequency design, embedded systems, and industrial IoT protocols, skill sets that remain scarce across the region.
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Companies recruiting engineers in Chile and Peru now face intensified competition for professionals capable of designing, deploying, and maintaining connectivity solutions in harsh underground environments. MineWatch's platform combines proprietary hardware with monitoring software that tracks worker location and machinery status, demanding cross-functional teams that integrate firmware, cloud infrastructure, and field operations.
The startup's client base includes contractors serving El Teniente, one of the world's largest underground copper mines. As MineWatch scales from pilots to multi-site contracts, it will need field engineers, product managers, and customer success specialists familiar with mining operational cycles and safety protocols.
Mine operators adopting MineWatch's technology will also require internal technical staff to integrate IoT data streams into existing fleet management and safety systems. This creates parallel hiring needs for data engineers, industrial automation specialists, and IT professionals capable of managing edge computing deployments in connectivity-constrained environments.
GENTY's recruiting engineers in Chile guide offers additional context for employers planning their next hires. GENTY's hiring technical talent in Peru guide offers additional context for employers planning their next hires.
MineWatch's 2027 Mexico entry and regional hiring roadmap
Following its Peru entry, MineWatch is in discussions with additional mining companies in the country and projects a Mexico launch during 2027. The company projects to establish operations in Mexico to support pre-sales engineering, installation, and customer support.
Mexico represents a strategic expansion target as Latin America's largest silver producer and a major source of gold, copper, and zinc. Underground operations in Mexican mining districts face similar connectivity challenges to those in Chile and Peru, creating addressable demand for MineWatch's wireless monitoring platform.
The planned Mexico entry will require MineWatch to hire bilingual engineers and sales professionals with established relationships in the Mexican mining sector. The company's current 18-person headcount will need to grow substantially to support simultaneous operations across three countries, each with distinct regulatory environments and customer requirements.
MineWatch's expansion reflects broader investment momentum in Latin American mining technology. As operators seek to digitize underground operations and improve safety compliance, startups offering connectivity, automation, and analytics solutions are attracting capital and competing for the same pool of technical talent.
For employers in mining and industrial IoT, MineWatch's funding and growth plans signal tightening labor markets for specialized engineers across Chile, Peru, and Mexico. Companies will need to accelerate hiring timelines, offer competitive compensation, and consider remote or hybrid arrangements to secure professionals with the wireless networking and embedded systems expertise required for next-generation mining technology deployment.