MQ vs LAC Comparison

Headquartered in Oakland, California, and founded in 2010, Marqeta provides its clients with a card-issuing platform that offers the infrastructure and tools necessary to offer digital, physical, and tokenized payment options without the need for a traditional bank. The company's open APIs are designed to allow third parties like DoorDash, Klarna, and Block to rapidly develop and deploy innovative card-based products and payment services without the need to develop the underlying technology. The company generates revenue primarily through processing and ATM fees for cards issued on its platform.

Lithium Americas is a pure-play lithium producer. Following a deal with the US government, the firm will own 59% of one resource, Thacker Pass, which is located in northwest Nevada, with automaker General Motors owning 36% and the US government owning 5%. Thacker Pass is under construction and expected to begin production in 2028. Thacker Pass is one of the largest known lithium resources in the world. The project would be the first clay-based asset to enter production, and we estimate it will be in bottom half of the global cost curve. Management plans to develop Thacker Pass into a fully integrated lithium production site, with downstream refining capabilities on site, and will sell into the lithium chemical market.