Sparrow Hills Partners expands into the mining sector, leveraging deep roots in energy and strategic vision for supply chain resilience.
Houston, Texas, April 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Alternative investment firm Sparrow Hills Partners has announced its expansion into the mining and natural resource sector, a move that reflects both its strategic foresight and the global demand for sustainable, domestically sourced raw materials. The firm, co-founded by Sergei Pokrovsky and Dmitry Daudin, is leveraging its deep operational roots in traditional energy to enter the underserved but increasingly vital world of mining.
Sergei Pokrovsky
“We’re diversifying into the mining space and broader natural resources,” says Sergei Pokrovsky, Managing Partner at Sparrow Hills. “This isn’t a pivot from our niche. It’s an evolution.”
The company itself, Sparrow Hills Partners, was launched following the successful collaboration between Pokrovsky and Daudin at Werrus Energy, where they honed their expertise in originating and managing energy investments. Built on decades of experience in upstream energy, their new firm is dedicated to powering the transition through a portfolio that balances traditional energy with sustainability-forward ventures. Sparrow Hill specializes in thematic, value-driven investments across energy, natural resources, and emerging sustainable technologies with a focus on active portfolio management and real operational leadership.
Pokrovsky’s own journey is deeply embedded in geoscience. With a geology degree and a master’s in geophysics, his early days were spent in field operations on oil rigs. “I never planned on working in the oil rigs, but it was the job I could get under the OPT visa,” he recalls. “But working from the rig floor to managing engineering and eventually product teams gave me the perspective to bridge operations with strategy.”
Image Credit: Sparrow Hills
That operational grounding eventually led to a private equity role in 2012, where Pokrovsky’s hybrid knowledge (technical and managerial) proved invaluable for sourcing and vetting energy deals. He went on to lead M&A initiatives, work with multinationals in Mexico, and sponsor a green-focused SPAC aimed at sustainable resources.
His partner, Dmitry Daudin, brings complementary strengths from a global corporate background. A seasoned executive and investor, Daudin has led energy and sustainability ventures for multinationals and private equity platforms. His focus on value creation and operational scale rounds out the leadership team.
Sparrow Hill’s foray into mining is the result of years of cumulative insight and the mission to aid in strong energy security and responsible transition to cleaner energy.
Pokrovsky first became interested during his SPAC tenure with a 2021 initiative launched during the peak of the SPAC boom. After sifting through more than 70 potential deals, from biodegradable plastics to futuristic energy storage, one mining company stood out. He recalls, “The more I dug into mining through a SPAC experience, the more I realized how underfunded and overlooked this sector is, especially when compared to oil and gas.”
Pokrovsky further explains, “The company could refine base metals in a cleaner, more sustainable way. Instead of traditional smelting, which is energy-intensive and polluting, they use a hydrometallurgical process that’s far more eco-friendly. And yet, I realized conventional mining is still way behind in terms of capital flow, best practices, and available talent. That’s a gap we’re aiming to fill.”
In addition, Pokrovsky founded a company called ETNR in 2022, with a focus on assembling the high-grade resources and lithium-brine position in East Texas, targeting one of the highest concentrations of lithium in the Smackover Formation in the United States.
According to Pokrovsky, the mining sector’s timing couldn’t be better. As the U.S. grapples with a fragile and foreign-dependent supply chain for critical minerals, investment in domestic extraction and refining is critical. “The U.S. has woken up to how much we depend on others for raw materials, and that is slowly changing,” he states.
Sparrow Hill’s strength lies in its deep diligence process. Whether it’s evaluating geology, scrutinizing engineering teams, or assessing jurisdictional risk, the firm takes nothing for granted. “We do not work on a textbook model,” Pokrovsky affirms. “We build frameworks around teams, technology, and assets. Our job is to underwrite the opportunity with discipline.”
Looking ahead, Sparrow Hills’ next chapter includes strategic moves across North America — and beyond. In addition to expanding its U.S. presence, the firm is evaluating targets in Peru, a country Pokrovsky calls “one of the most attractive economies in South America.” “They’ve separated their central bank from their government, so the currency is stable, and their constitution protects contracts,” he concludes. “It’s perfect for mid-scale projects that are ideal for a firm like ours.”
Media Contact
Name: Sergei Pokrovsky
Email: sergei@sparrowhillspartners.com
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