NEO Battery Materials Ltd. has entered into a joint development agreement with NainTech Co., Ltd. to co-develop advanced battery technologies for both stationary energy storage systems and unmanned aerial system (UAS) applications. The collaboration focuses on two key areas: sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) for energy storage in AI data centers and power grid applications, and high-performance lithium-ion cells enhanced with MXene nanomaterials for drones.
Under the agreement, NEO will leverage its low-cost, silicon-enhanced anode materials to support NainTech in designing and manufacturing SIB electrodes and full cells. Sodium-ion technology is increasingly viewed as an affordable alternative to lithium-ion chemistry, owing to broader resource availability and reduced raw material costs. The two companies plan to advance prototypes from initial design through to commercial-scale production, targeting energy storage deployments in data center and utility settings.
For drone and UAS applications, NainTech’s proprietary, titanium-based MXene additives will be combined with NEO’s silicon anode formulations to improve electrical conductivity—an essential factor for extending flight duration, increasing payload capacity, and enabling high-power maneuvers. MXene, a two-dimensional nanomaterial, can exceed the conductivity of conventional graphene by an order of magnitude.
NainTech, renowned for its precision equipment in battery and fuel cell manufacturing as well as semiconductor and display industries, has achieved rapid growth through continuous nanomaterial innovation and quality-driven processes. The company is a tier-1 supplier to major global battery producers and recently incorporated Energy11, a specialized sodium-ion subsidiary, to accelerate next-generation energy storage solutions.
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.”
