NEO Battery and Established South Korean Manufacturer, NainTech, to Co-Develop Drone & Stationary Energy Storage Batteries

TORONTO, Aug. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Joint Development Agreement with Established South Korean Manufacturer, NainTech
- Specializing in Battery & Fuel Cell Technology and Semiconductor & Display Precision Equipment
- Tier-1 Battery Value Chain Vendor to LG Energy Solution and Leading Global Battery Manufacturers
- Listed on Korean Stock Exchange under Code 267320
Commercializing Sodium-Ion Battery Technologies for AI Data Centres and Power Grid Storage
Integrating Graphene-Surpassing Nanomaterial, MXene, to Enhance High-Performance Drone/UAS Batteries

NEO Battery Materials Ltd. (“NEO” or the “Company”) (TSXV: NBM) (OTC: NBMFF), a low-cost, silicon-enhanced battery materials and components developer that enables longer-running, rapid-charging batteries, is pleased to enter into a Joint Development Agreement (“JDA”) with NainTech Co., Ltd. (“NainTech”) (KRX:267320), a South Korean manufacturer specializing in battery & fuel cell technology and semiconductor & display precision equipment. Both parties will co-develop (i) sodium-ion battery technology for energy storage systems (ESS) and (ii) high-performance lithium-ion batteries with MXene additives.

Through the JDA, NEO and NainTech will collaborate closely on both drone and stationary energy storage technologies. Sodium-ion batteries (SIB) will be the first development focus for integration in ESS for (i) artificial intelligence (AI) data centres and (ii) power grid storage. SIBs have gained recognition as the de facto alternative to lithium-ion batteries for energy storage, benefiting from greater resource availability and lower costs. NEO will support NainTech in developing and manufacturing SIB electrodes and full battery cells, guiding prototype design through to commercial-level deployment.

For drone applications, NainTech’s proprietary additives, Titanium-based MXene, will be incorporated into NEO’s silicon anode products and high-performance battery designs to improve electrical conductivity – a critical factor to enable longer flight times, heavier payloads, and high-power maneuvers in drones and unmanned systems (UAS). MXenes are 2-dimensional materials that can outperform the conductivity of commercial graphene by one order of magnitude.

Agreement Signing Ceremony with NainTech

NainTech is a publicly-listed, South Korean company with distinctive competitiveness in the field of batteries and fuel cell technology, semiconductor and display precision equipment, and advanced function materials. Based on quality-driven manufacturing capabilities and continuous nanomaterial innovation, NainTech has achieved threefold growth over the past two years, reaching a market capitalization of CAD 200 million (KRW 200 billion) and annual revenues of CAD 200 million as of fiscal year 2024. NainTech is also a tier-1 value chain vendor for LG Energy Solution and leading global rechargeable battery manufacturers. NainTech further supplies advanced production equipment for lithium-ion batteries, positioning itself as a key partner within the global battery value chain.

Mr. Spencer Huh, President & CEO of NEO, commented, “This co-development partnership with NainTech is another major step for NEO’s evolving business model. By expanding into electrode and cell design for SIB technology, while leveraging NainTech’s nanomaterial innovation like MXene, we are advancing comprehensively for battery innovation. Sodium will offer a more affordable and scalable solution to the energy storage bottleneck, and MXene-enhanced batteries will allow drones and UAS to realize full performance requirements.”

Mr. Eric Park, President & CEO of NainTech, stated, “With our expertise in precision equipment manufacturing and material innovation, NainTech and NEO will produce synergies and deliver end-to-end solutions for new, rising sectors such as AI data centres, power grid storage, and drone/UAS. With NEO’s unique capabilities in battery design and advanced anode materials that complement NainTech’s technology roadmap, we look forward to jointly serving commercial battery solutions for various downstream markets.”

About NainTech Co., Ltd.
NainTech Co., Ltd. is a South Korea-based advanced equipment and materials company with strong competitiveness in battery and fuel cell technologies, semiconductor and display precision equipment, and advanced functional materials. Leveraging its quality-driven manufacturing capabilities and continuous nanomaterial innovation, NainTech has achieved rapid growth in recent years and is actively expanding its presence in the global battery and advanced materials markets. In 2025, NainTech incorporated Energy11, a specialized sodium-ion battery subsidiary, to accelerate the development of next-generation energy storage solutions. Through Energy11, NainTech is spearheading innovation in energy storage systems (ESS) and power grid applications. For more information, please visit the Company’s website at: http://www.naintech.com.

For More Information on NainTech:
jklee@naintec.co.kr
T: +82 (031) 476-0305

About NEO Battery Materials Ltd.
NEO Battery Materials is a Canadian battery materials technology company focused on developing silicon anode materials for lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles, electronics, and energy storage systems. With a patent-protected, low-cost manufacturing process, NEO Battery enables longer-running and ultra-fast charging batteries compared to existing state-of-the-art technologies. The Company aims to be a globally-leading producer of silicon anode materials for the electric vehicle and energy storage industries. For more information, please visit the Company’s website at: https://www.neobatterymaterials.com/.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors
Spencer Huh
Director, President, and CEO

For Investor Relations, PR & More Information:
info@neobatterymaterials.com
T: +1 (437) 451-7678

This news release includes certain forward-looking statements as well as management's objectives, strategies, beliefs and intentions. All information contained herein that is not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. Generally, such forward-looking information can be identified notably by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: volatile stock prices; the general global markets and economic conditions; the possibility of write-downs and impairments; the risk associated with the research and development of advanced and battery-related technologies; the risk associated with the effectiveness and feasibility of technologies that have not yet been tested or proven on commercial scale; manufacturing process scale-up risks, including maintaining consistent material quality, production yields, and process reproducibility at a pilot or commercial scale; compatibility issues with existing battery chemistries and unforeseen the risks associated with entering into and maintaining collaborations, joint ventures, or partnerships with battery cell manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers, and various companies in the global battery supply chain; the risks associated with the construction, completion, and financing of commercial facilities including the Windsor and South Korean facilities; the risks associated with supply chain disruptions or cost fluctuations in raw materials, processing chemicals, and additive prices, impacting production costs and commercial viability; the risks associated with uninsurable risks arising during the course of research, development and production; competition faced by the Company in securing experienced personnel and financing; access to adequate infrastructure and resources to support battery materials research and development activities; the risks associated with changes in the technology regulatory regime governing the Company; the risks associated with the timely execution of the Company’s strategies and business plans; the risks associated with the lithium-ion battery industry’s demand and adoption of the Company’s silicon anode technology; market adoption and integration challenges, including the difficulty of incorporating silicon anodes within battery manufacturers and OEMs systems; the risks associated with the various environmental and political regulations the Company is subject to; risks related to regulatory and permitting delays; the reliance on key personnel; liquidity risks; the risk of litigation; risk management; and other risk factors as identified in the Company’s recent Financial Statements and MD&A and in recent securities filings for the Company which are available on www.sedarplus.ca. Forward-looking information is based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable at the time such statements are made, including but not limited to, continued R&D and commercialization activities, no material adverse change in precursor prices, development and commercialization plans to proceed in accordance with plans and such plans to achieve their stated expected outcomes, receipt of required regulatory approvals, and such other assumptions and factors as set out herein. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information has been provided for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding the Company's business, operations, research and development, and commercialization plans and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is made as of the date of this presentation, and the Company does not undertake to update such forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

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Agreement Signing Ceremony with NainTech

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