TraCerLab Group Appoints Serge Longo as Chief Operating Officer

BRUSSELS, Belgium — 08 October 2026 — TraCerLab Group today announced the appointment of Serge Longo as Chief Operating Officer. He joins as the company prepares for its Stage B funding phase and the expansion of its operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

As Chief Operating Officer, Serge will lead the operating model that connects TraCerLab's technology, scientific work and responsible-sourcing framework with field delivery. His remit includes operational planning, logistics, transport, institutional coordination, compliance, reporting and the implementation of environmental, social and governance requirements across the mineral supply chain.

Serge's management experience began with the coordination of communications and technology networks linked to the European Commission's DG INFSO and DG RTD programmes, as well as the evaluation of research and infrastructure-development projects.

Over the following two decades, he contributed to the development of companies, projects and infrastructure around essential minerals through mining investments in the DRC. His work has covered Kivu, Katanga, the Kasai River corridor, Orientale Province, Ituri and Haut-Uele, and has ranged from mine planning and geological field programmes to transport infrastructure, commercial operations and community engagement.

His experience also extends beyond the DRC. Serge has organised mineral shipping, import and customs processes and built industry partnerships in Tanzania, South Africa, Mozambique, Equatorial Guinea and the Republic of Congo. His work has spanned copper, cobalt, diamonds, gold and oil, while maintaining a practical focus on the communities that host and support extractive operations.

Across these assignments, Serge helped deliver roads, a port and an airport, alongside schools, a dispensary and drinking-water wells. He also supported local events and community initiatives, working with public authorities and local leaders to connect operational investment with tangible benefits for surrounding populations.

He has established working relationships with the DRC's Ministry of Mines, national and provincial authorities, Provincial Mining Divisions, local geologists, laboratories, banks, international financial institutions and the European Commission. His record includes managing customs and laboratory logistics, contributing to an NI 43-101 technical-reporting process, supporting drilling programmes and participating in the development and financing of large-scale gold production and infrastructure projects.

In 2008, Serge became Africa Regional Manager at APA Holdings; he later served as Group Commercial Manager at Banro Corporation. Across these senior roles, he managed operational, administrative and financial procedures; quarterly and annual budgeting; commercial strategy; contracting; branding; reporting; and the deployment of processing, extraction and crushing equipment. His work with Adumbi Mining and Loncor Gold also involved the closing phase of a 7,000-metre drilling programme and planning for an industrial gold mine and associated hydroelectric infrastructure in Ituri Province.

Ndagano Nyamweru, Chief Executive Officer of TraCerLab Group, said:

“Responsible sourcing only becomes credible when it works in practice. It requires an operating framework that connects scientific provenance, chain-of-custody controls, due diligence, public institutions and the people working at mine and community level. Serge understands that framework from end to end, and he knows how to turn it into disciplined, repeatable field operations.”

“His experience across mining, logistics, finance, infrastructure and government engagement will help us move from capability to delivery. Just as importantly, he shares our view that local communities cannot be treated as an afterthought. Our systems must be built with local actors and must support safer working conditions, stronger local capacity and more transparent routes to formal markets.”

Serge Longo, Chief Operating Officer of TraCerLab Group, said:

“TraCerLab has a clear purpose: to make responsible sourcing operational from the mine site onwards. My priority is to build a reliable operating model that brings together logistics, compliance, field data, scientific verification and institutional partnerships. That discipline is essential if traceability is to be trusted by governments, industry and communities alike.”

“Durable operations are measured not only by what reaches the market, but by what remains in the communities where production begins. We will work alongside authorities, cooperatives, geologists, transport partners and local populations to strengthen skills, infrastructure, safety and participation in the formal economy. Operational excellence and local impact must advance together.”

Olrick-Anselme Olenga Disashi, Chief Product Officer of TraCerLab Group, said:

“Excited to have him on board! Operations is where a product proves its promise. It's the bridge between our science, our technology and the people who rely on us to deliver in the field.

And Serge combines just that: deep operational experience, exceptional knowledge of the DRC mining ecosystem and a genuine commitment to local impact.”

The appointment comes as TraCerLab moves towards field implementation of an integrated product and service ecosystem for mineral traceability. The company is developing tools that combine analytical footprinting, field-data capture, digital chain-of-custody records, due-diligence workflows, ESG indicators and advanced data intelligence.

Serge will work across TraCerLab's management, product, science and field teams to establish the processes, partnerships and accountability required to operate that ecosystem at scale. His appointment strengthens the company's capacity to align technology with regulatory expectations and the day-to-day realities of mines, transport corridors, laboratories and local markets.

As demand for critical minerals grows, governments, manufacturers, investors and civil society are asking for stronger evidence of origin and more accountable supply chains. TraCerLab's operating approach is designed to meet that need while helping artisanal and small-scale mining communities participate more safely and fairly in formal mineral markets.

About TraCerLab Group

TraCerLab Group is a Belgian science and technology cooperative focused on solving the critical challenge of mineral traceability and certification. Incorporated in Belgium in 2020, the company develops technology, scientific, and service-led solutions for essential minerals including cobalt, copper, zinc, and 3TG minerals in the African Great Lakes Region.

TraCerLab works with governments, industry, mining communities, and artisanal and small-scale mining actors to support responsible sourcing, supply chain transparency, due diligence, ESG outcomes, and sector formalisation. Its work includes the development of analytical footprinting, traceability systems, digital tools, and field-informed solutions designed to strengthen trust across mineral supply chains.