Star Metro - Nano One Pre-Qualifies Lithium from Rio Tinto for LFP Cathode Production and Provides Strategic Collaboration Update

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA / ACCESS Newswire / October 6, 2025 / (TSX:NANO)(OTCQB:NNOMF)(Frankfurt:LBMB)

Nano One® Materials Corp. ("Nano One" or the "Company"), a process technology company specializing in lithium‑ion battery cathode active materials, is pleased to provide an update on its ongoing collaboration with Rio Tinto (together, the "Parties") specific to the pre-qualification of high-volume battery‑grade raw material inputs for Nano One's One-Pot™ lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode active material (CAM) production process.

"We are adding value to our technology and license offering by pre-qualifying feedstock that is critical to the production of LFP. This will assist our prospective licensee partners manage supply chain risks and accelerate time to market for future One-Pot commercial plants. There continues to be a need for secure, diversified, and economically localized LFP cathode active material supply chains. We believe that our One-Pot processing technology can be bundled with pre-qualified input feedstocks from premier producers such as Rio Tinto, to help partners, licensees, and customers achieve their objectives." stated Alex Holmes, Chief Operating Officer of Nano One.

Rio Tinto is a leading global mining group and a major lithium producer, with one of the world's largest lithium resource bases. With strategically located lithium assets across key regions, Rio Tinto intends to grow the capacity of its tier-1 lithium assets to over 200 thousand tonnes per year of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) by 2028^[1].

Collaboration and pre-qualification of Rio Tinto's critical minerals and raw materials inputs include:

• Lithium carbonate from Rio Tinto's Fenix site at the Salar del Hombre Muerto in Catamarca, Argentina qualified at C-sample (tonne scale) with 10 tonnes purchased for pilot and customer validation work

• Lithium carbonate from Rio Tinto's Olaroz site in Jujuy, Argentina qualified at A-sample (kilogram scale) for diversified sourcing strategy, progressing to C-sample qualification

• Pre-commercial lithium carbonate samples from Rio Tinto's Rincon project in Argentina have been evaluated for future supply

Nano One conducts qualification of battery‑grade raw materials through a rigorous, staged testing protocol at increasing scales from A-sample (kilograms) through C-sample (1-10 tonnes) prior to D-samples in a commercial plant setting. By pre-qualifying raw material inputs, Nano One aims to accelerate customer acceptance of its LFP product and LFP CAM licensing packages. This will also de‑risk supply chains for prospective licensees and fast-track A thru C sample qualification programs by as much as one year. The strategic collaboration between the Parties aligns with Nano One's technology licensing and growth strategy while supporting regional LFP supply chain development opportunities.

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About Nano One®

Nano One® Materials Corp. (Nano One) is a technology company changing how the world makes cathode active materials for lithium-ion batteries. Applications include stationary energy storage systems (ESS), portable electronics, and electric vehicles (EVs). The Company's patented One-Pot™ process reduces costs, is easier to permit, lowers energy intensity and environmental footprint, and reduces reliance on problematic supply chains. The Company is supporting the drive towards energy security, supply chain resilience, industrial competitiveness, and increased performance through process innovation. Production is being piloted and demonstrated in Candiac, Quebec, drawing on existing plant and decades of commercial lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) manufacturing experience. Strategic collaborations and partnerships with international companies like Sumitomo Metal Mining, Rio Tinto, and Worley are supporting a design-one-build-many licensing growth strategy-delivering cost-competitive, easier to permit, and faster to market battery materials production solutions worldwide. Nano One has received funding from the Government of Canada, the Government of the United States, the Government of Québec, and the Government of British Columbia. For more information, please visit www.nanoone.ca.

Company Contact:
Paul Guedes
[email protected]
+1 (604) 420-2041

Cautionary Notes and Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information contained herein may constitute "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to: continued success in collaboration with Rio Tinto; de‑risking product supply chains for prospective licensees; the development of technology, supply chains, and plans for construction and operation of cathode production facilities for acceptance of the Company's product and licensing packages; potential bundling of One-Pot with pre-qualified feedstocks (e.g., Rio Tinto) and those related benefits to partners, licensees and customers; industry acceleration and demand; successful current and future collaborations that are/may happen with OEMs, miners or others; the value, functions and intended benefits of the Company's technology and products; the development and evolution of Nano One's technology and products; achieving commercial production of LFP; the Company's licensing, supply chain, joint venture strategies, opportunities and potential royalty arrangements; the purpose for expanding the Candiac facilities and scalability of developed technology; and the execution of the Company's plans - which are contingent on capital support and grants. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of terminology such as 'believe', 'expect', 'anticipate', 'plan', 'intend', 'continue', 'estimate', 'may', 'will', 'should', 'ongoing', 'target', 'goal', 'encouraged', 'projected', 'potential' or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the current opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made are not, and cannot be, a guarantee of future results or events. Forward-looking statements are 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 statements or forward-looking information, including but not limited to: continued success in collaboration with Rio Tinto; de‑risking supply chains for prospective licensees; potential bundling of One-Pot with pre-qualified feedstocks (e.g., Rio Tinto) and those related benefits to partners, licensees and customers; general and global economic and regulatory changes; next steps and timely execution of the Company's business plans; the development of technology, supply chains, and plans for construction and operation of cathode production facilities; successful current or future collaborations that may happen with OEMs, miners or others; the execution of the Company's plans which are contingent on capital sources; the Company's ability to achieve its stated goals; the commercialization of the Company's technology and patents via license, joint venture and independent production; anticipated global demand and projected growth for LFP batteries; and other risk factors as identified in Nano One's Annual Information Form dated March 25, 2025, for the year ended December 31, 2024, its MD&A for the six months ended June 30, 2025 and in recent securities filings for the Company which are available at www.sedarplus.ca. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or 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 statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that is incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

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M.Johnson--SMC