Critical minerals, such as lithium and copper, are essential components of batteries and other green technologies at the core of economic decarbonisation projects. These minerals, however, tend to be scarce and geographically concentrated, which in tandem with limited mineral recycling technologies, increases the pressure of finding new deposits to ensure future mineral supply and continuous production. In the last four decades, finding mineral deposits has become the purview of junior miners, which shape mining geographies from the outset through their mineral exploration activities across the globe. While existing research shows juniors’ active roles in mining globalisation and the role of industry and government actors in facilitating their international ventures, little is known about the motivations and enablers that have helped juniors to overcome their traditionally domestic operations and the limitations of their small size and capital. Building on data from 49 semi-structured interviews, this research addressed this gap by looking into the motivations and enablers of Australian junior explorations in the Latin American copper and lithium industries. Preliminary results suggest that investment appetite for critical mineral projects, combined with home country characteristics, such as strong national mining reputation, and host country conditions, are key to the development of junior international ventures and the ongoing identification of critical minerals.