Aug 19 (Reuters) - Lithium technology developer KMX

Technologies said on Monday that Tetra Technologies and

venture capital fund PureTerra Ventures have joined its latest

funding round and will help it commercially launch products to

process the electric vehicle battery metal.

The deal is among the latest in the direct lithium

extraction sector, a fast-growing space that has garnered

billions of dollars' worth of investment from investors looking

to change how the battery metal is produced.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

KMX's technology helps concentrate lithium after it is

separated from brine during a direct lithium extraction, or DLE,

process. KMX, which competes with Veolia and others, is

marketing its concentration equipment as one that can be added

on to a DLE process to help produce the metal.

The United Kingdom's Cornish Lithium is among KMX's

customers.

Tetra, which is developing a lithium project in Arkansas

with Exxon Mobil ( XOM ), also will help KMX design and build a

mobile water treatment system that it will use at its own

operations.

As part of the investment, Tetra's finance chief, Elijio

Serrano, and PureTerra partner Alexander Crowell will join the

board of Connecticut-based KMX.

The European Investment Fund, which is controlled by the

European Union, is one of PureTerra's investors. Archer Private

Investments, a private family office, is also joining the KMX

funding round.