NEO Battery Appoints 4-Star General Chang-Jun Ko, Former South Korean Army Chief of Staff, to its Board of Directors

Canada NewsWire

TORONTO, Feb. 10, 2026 /CNW/ - NEO Battery Materials Ltd. ("NEO" or the "Company") (TSXV: NBM) (OTC: NBMFF), a low-cost, silicon-enhanced battery developer that enables longer-running, rapid-charging batteries for drones, robotics, and electronics, is pleased to appoint 4-star General (Ret.) Chang-Jun Ko to its Board of Directors as an independent director, strengthening the Company's strategic integration with South Korea's defense sector and government stakeholders.

General Ko is a highly respected senior military leader of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Army, having most recently served as Acting Chief of Staff of the ROK Army and as the 46^th Commander of the Second Operational Command. Over a 36-year distinguished military career, he has held multiple senior command and leadership roles overseeing complex defense operations, force readiness, and large-scale military organizations across the Korean Peninsula.

The appointment reflects NEO's focus on expanding its engagement within South Korea's defense and national security ecosystem as the Company advances high-performance battery technologies for drones, unmanned systems (UAS), and defense-related technology applications. General Ko brings deep expertise in field-use requirements and procurement protocols within the ROK Army and the Ministry of National Defense, including active relationships across defense, government, and relevant public-sector organizations.

As a board member, General Ko will provide strategic and operational guidance on defense sector engagement and effective pathways for navigating Korea's military procurement and acquisition process. His experience and insights are expected to support NEO's effort to align battery performance, quality, and costs with the standards required for military and government use.

General Chang-Jun Ko expressed: "I am greatly pleased and excited to join NEO Battery Materials at a time when high-performance battery and energy technologies are becoming vital to defense drone and physical AI systems. NEO's competitive edge in providing a customized battery solution using the domestic supply chain opens a key growth and development opportunity in addressing the critical battery supply deficit concern in South Korea, the United States, and all relevant Western governments. I look forward to supporting the Company as it deepens its engagement with Korea's defense ecosystem and advances battery solutions suited for military operational environments."

Appointment of Target IR & Communications

NEO is also pleased to enter into an investor relations agreement (the "Agreement") with 260814 Ontario Inc. (dba Target IR & Communications) ("Target IR") for investor relations and communications services to increase the Company's visibility within the Canadian capital markets and to streamline overall corporate messaging, IR planning and investor outreach, in addition to supporting digital marketing initiatives. Under the terms of the Agreement, effective February 9, 2026, Target IR will receive a monthly service fee of CAD 8,500 (plus applicable taxes) for an initial term of six months, with the option to renew on a quarterly basis thereafter. Target IR is at arm's length relationship with the Company and does not have any direct or indirect interest in the Company or its securities. Target IR's principal, Salisha Ilyas, currently owns 51,000 common shares of the Company. The Company will not issue any securities to Target IR or its principal as compensation.

Based in Toronto, Target IR is a strategic IR firm serving growing and emerging publicly listed companies, with over 35 years of combined experience working alongside technology, mining and healthcare clients. With TSX/TSX-V, NYSE, and LSE experience, the firm's dedicated team leverages their deep IR, strategic communications and capital markets expertise to plan and execute proactive investor relations programs.

The Agreement is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

About NEO Battery Materials Ltd.
NEO Battery Materials is a Canadian battery technology company focused on developing and producing silicon-enhanced lithium-ion batteries in drones, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), robotics, unmanned systems, electronics, electric vehicles, and energy storage systems for AI data centers. With a patent-protected, low-cost manufacturing process, NEO Battery enables longer-running and ultra-fast charging batteries and provides end-to-end battery solutions from materials selection, cell architecture, and process optimization. The Company aims to be a globally-leading producer of high-performance lithium-ion battery components and materials, building a secure, robust battery supply chain in North America. 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

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 battery-related technologies; the risk associated with the effectiveness and feasibility of battery material, electrode, and cell technologies that have not yet been tested or proven on commercial scale or under real-world operating conditions; the risks associated with battery-related manufacturing process scale-up, including maintaining consistent material, component, and cell quality, production yields, and process reproducibility at a pilot, semi-commercial, or commercial scale; the risks associated with compatibility of existing battery chemistries, formulations, components, or designs; unforeseen risks associated with entering into and maintaining collaborations, joint ventures, partnerships, or commercial contracts with battery cell manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers, and various companies in the global battery and downstream end-user supply chain; the risks associated with the failure to develop and produce commercially viable battery-related products or that technical goals may not be achieved within expected timelines or budgets under a joint development or collaboration; the risks associated with the Company's technologies and products not meeting performance requirements or customer specifications; the risks that prototype and pilot-scale products do not advance into commercially produced products or translate into commercial orders; the risk associated with battery components and cell purchase orders and offtake supply that may not be fulfilled in full, on time, or at all as actual revenue realization depends on delivery schedules, achievement of technical milestones, and customer acceptance and validation; the risk associated with losing official vendor registration or status with existing customers; counterparty risk upon delivery of prototype and commercial products; the risks associated with constructing, completing, securing, and financing pilot, semi-commercial, and commercial battery materials, components, and cell manufacturing facilities including the Canadian and South Korean facilities; the risks associated with potential delays or increased costs with site preparation, equipment procurement and installation, and facility commissioning; the risks associated with integrating silicon anode material production, electrode manufacturing, and cell assembly within a single operational cluster or the Company's business portfolio; 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, contracts and sales, and financing; access to adequate infrastructure and resources to support battery materials, components, and cell 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 and end-users' demand and adoption of the Company's silicon anode technology and battery products; market adoption and integration challenges, including the difficulty of incorporating silicon anodes and silicon battery products 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, raw material, equipment, and relevant cost 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.

SOURCE NEO Battery Materials Ltd.

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