Neo Battery Materials hooks up with S. Korean tech play

Mr. Spencer Huh reports JOINT DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT WITH ESTABLISHED SOUTH KOREAN MANUFACTURER, NAINTECH Neo Battery Materials Ltd. has entered a joint development agreement (JDA) with NainTech Co., Ltd. (KRX: 267320), a South Korean manufacturer specializing in battery and fuel cell technology and semiconductor and 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 two-dimensional materials that can outperform the conductivity of commercial graphene by one order of magnitude. 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 $200-million (Canadian) (200 billion won) and annual revenues of $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. Spencer Huh, president and chief executive officer 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." Eric Park, president and 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 road map, we look forward to jointly serving commercial battery solutions for various downstream markets." About NainTech Co., Ltd. NainTech is a South Korean advanced equipment and materials company with strong competitiveness in battery and fuel cell technologies, semiconductor and display precision equipment, and advanced functional materials. 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 ultrafast charging batteries compared with existing state-of-the-art technologies. We seek Safe Harbor.