The9's Investee Nanyang Biologics (NYB) Advancing toward Nasdaq Listing after RFAI Cleared Vote at Shareholders Extraordinary General Meeting

Milestone Marks Further Progress in The9's Strategic Investment in AI-Driven Drug Discovery; The9 Expects to Hold Approximately 15% to 16% of the Combined, Nasdaq-Listed Company

SHANGHAI, Aug. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The9 Limited (Nasdaq: NCTY) ("The9" or the "Company"), a global, diversified high-tech company, today announced that Nanyang Biologics Pte. Ltd. ("NYB"), a Singapore-based, AI-driven drug discovery company in which The9 holds a strategic equity stake, has taken a significant step toward its planned Nasdaq listing. At an extraordinary general meeting held on August 19, 2026, shareholders of RF Acquisition Corp II ("RFAI") voted to approve NYB's proposed business combination, marking a key milestone in NYB's effort to become a Nasdaq-listed company under the reserved ticker symbol "NYB."

The9, which holds a stake in NYB through its wholly owned subsidiary Gamenow.net (Hong Kong) Limited ("Gamenow"), previously announced the investment as part of the Company's strategy of selectively extending into promising AI-driven opportunities beyond its core gaming ecosystem, the9bit. Upon completion of the business combination, which remains subject to customary closing conditions, The9 is expected to hold approximately 15% to 16% of the combined, Nasdaq-listed company.

NYB specializes in applying artificial intelligence to the discovery of novel drug candidates from natural compounds. Its Vecura™ AI platform, built on a proprietary library of more than one million natural compounds, is designed to identify promising bioactive candidates and mechanisms that conventional, synthetic-first approaches often overlook.

"This vote is an encouraging step forward for NYB and reflects strong shareholder confidence in its business," said George Lai, Chief Executive Officer of The9. "As a long-term investor in NYB, we are pleased to see this investment move closer to the public markets. We see this progress as more than a milestone for NYB alone; it reinforces the value of our investment and widens the range of possibilities for us going forward as we continue to build out The9's presence across the AI sector."

About The9 Limited

The9 Limited (Nasdaq: NCTY) is a global, diversified high-tech company redefining how games are created, played, and monetized. Founded in 1999 and Nasdaq-listed since 2004, The9 brings over two decades of gaming heritage to its flagship platform the9bit, an AI-powered digital asset ecosystem built around AI game creation and the $9BIT token economy, where every participant can play, create, earn, and own a stake in its growth. Beyond the9bit, The9 continues to explore emerging opportunities across AI-empowered industries and the broader digital ecosystem, including an equity stake in AI-driven drug discovery company NYB, building a multi-engine business positioned at the frontier of AI and the new economy, reshaping how value is created and shared.

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SOURCE The9 Limited