NEO Battery Materials Announces Grant of Restricted Share Units

TORONTO, Dec. 31, 2025 /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, announces that it has issued Restricted Share Units ("RSUs") to certain directors and officers in accordance with the Company's Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan.

The RSUs were granted as part of the Company's program to reward recent successes, including with commencing production at NEO's Battery Foundry, retaining global automotive manufacturers as anchor customers, and developing the Company's high-performance silicon battery products. The RSUs will further align the interests of directors and officers with those of shareholders, to incentivize sustained performance, execution, and value creation over time.

The Company has issued an aggregate of 1,350,000 RSUs to certain directors and officers. 675,000 RSUs will vest after a 12-month period, and the remaining 675,000 RSUs will vest after a 14-month period. The grant of the RSUs remains subject to approval by the TSX Venture Exchange.

Mr. Spencer Huh, President & CEO of NEO, commented:

As we enter the New Year, I would like to briefly reflect on NEO Battery's progress made over this past year and thank our shareholders, partners, and team members for their continued dedication and support.

2025 marked a period of meaningful transition and transformation. We advanced from an R&D organization into a manufacturing, operational, and commercialized one. By securing the 250 Megawatt-hour Battery Foundry, we are now producing industry-grade battery components and cells for global automotive OEMs. These achievements reflect disciplined execution, robust expertise across our team, and growing external validation of NEO's technology and product quality.

Looking ahead to 2026, our focus will be on expanding production capacity, customer pipelines, and product offerings. Along with the continuation of the silicon battery materials project, we aim to deliver high-performance silicon batteries to drones, robots & advanced electronics, helping downstream manufacturers secure a reliable, non-Chinese supply of batteries. We will approach the coming year with confidence and responsibility to deliver on our goals and milestones.

On behalf of the Board of Directors and the entire NEO team, I sincerely wish you a healthy, successful, and prosperous New Year.

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; 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 all 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 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; 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; 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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