Straits Invest’s Ki Un Park explains the strategy behind the new Elementum Fund, why he believes commodities have further to run, and what drew him to an early-stage investment in Krait Critical Minerals Corp. (KRIT: CSE | U0S:FSE)
By Jamie Hyland | MiningIR
This article draws on reporting by James Guttman for Streetwise Reports, published October 2026. See disclosures below.
Ki Un Park thinks the commodity cycle is still in its early stages, but he isn’t rushing to buy into it. In a recent interview with James Guttman of Streetwise Reports, Park said that a little more than two months after launch, his new Straits Invest Elementum Fund still held as much as roughly 70% of its capital in cash and money-market instruments. He plans to build positions gradually and to buy into market pullbacks.
A Strategy Built in Private Banking
Park spent about two decades in private banking and portfolio management before he took the helm at Straits Invest Pte. Ltd. The Singapore firm was founded in 2003. It manages money independently for high-net-worth, ultra-high-net-worth and institutional clients under a Capital Markets Services licence from the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
Elementum launched on July 16 under Altius Capital VCC. It puts into fund form the commodity approach Straits had already been running in its managed client portfolios. At the time of the interview the fund held about 6.8 million in assets, and Park was targeting roughly 10 million by year-end.
The fund follows a core-satellite model:
- Core: up to 80% in commodities and related investments, including ETFs, listed equities and unlisted companies across precious, industrial and soft commodities.
- Satellite: the remainder can go to non-commodity themes such as cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, to diversify the portfolio.
Gold and silver anchor the core. Park prefers physically backed ETFs over “paper” metal exposure. He also believes mining equities have not yet caught up with metal prices. When costs stay stable, higher metal prices widen margins and free cash flow for producers, and he cited Royal Gold Inc. (RGLD: NASDAQ) as one example.
A Different View of Risk
Park measures risk as permanent loss rather than volatility. “I define risk as the chance to lose everything,” he said. That view is what lets Elementum hold established precious-metals exposure alongside small, speculative positions, as long as each position is sized to its risk.
Why Krait
Krait Critical Minerals is one of those speculative positions. A longtime friend who understood the Elementum strategy introduced Park to the company. Straits usually tracks a prospective investment for weeks or months, but Park decided on Krait within a day or two. Because the company is at such an early stage, he treats the holding like a call option: a small position with significant upside that could also be lost entirely. He said Straits will likely take part in Krait’s next financing.
Krait gave the fund critical-minerals exposure it did not already have. The company’s portfolio includes:
- the Goldbar Spider Lake Project in Ontario
- antimony interests in Washington State, including contractual interests tied to the Bales Antimony Project and interests in the Antimony Bell Project, acquired through the September purchase of Nevada Hills Antimony LLC
Antimony supply is concentrated in a few countries, and China’s export restrictions have shown how exposed Western defence and manufacturing supply chains are. Rebuilding domestic mining and processing capacity takes years, which supports Park’s view of a longer cycle.
The Mendoza Factor
The people mattered as much as the assets. The introduction gave Park direct access to Krait CEO Oscar Mendoza, and Park said that access was an important factor in his decision. Across its business, Straits’ leadership generally knows its counterparties personally. Park acknowledged this does not remove risk, but he said trust lets problems get resolved faster.
For now, Elementum is waiting for its opportunities, and Krait is one of the few early-stage positions Park has chosen to take.
Source: “Why This Fund Manager Says the Commodity Cycle Is Just Getting Started,” James Guttman, Streetwise Reports, October 2026. James Guttman wrote the original article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an employee.
Disclosures
Krait Critical Minerals Corp.: Krait is an early-stage exploration company, and an investment in its securities is highly speculative and could result in the loss of the entire amount invested. According to Streetwise Reports’ disclosures, Krait is a billboard sponsor of Streetwise Reports and pays a monthly sponsorship fee of US$3,000–US$6,000. Also, according to those disclosures, officers, contractors, shareholders and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC own securities of Krait Critical Minerals Corp. This article contains forward-looking statements, including statements about future financings, commodity prices and project development. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially. Readers should review Krait’s continuous disclosure documents on SEDAR+ before making any investment decision.
MiningIR: Krait Critical Minerals Corp. is a client of MiningIR. MiningIR has received, and expects to continue to receive, compensation of CA$4,000 per month from Krait for media services. As of the date of this article, Jamie Hyland and MiningIR do not hold securities of Krait Critical Minerals Corp. This article is for informational purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Readers should consult a registered financial adviser and do their own due diligence before investing.
