MONTREAL, Sept. 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NanoXplore Inc. (“NanoXplore” or the “Company”) (TSX: GRA and OTCQX: NNXPF) today announced that it has been selected as a qualified supplier under the Government of Canada's Defence Drone Initiative (“DDI”) Marketplace. NanoXplore applied under, and was approved in Stream 5 (Innovation and Experimentation).

The qualification covers both NanoXplore's graphene-enhanced composite components and the graphene enhanced lithium-ion battery cells produced by VoltaXplore Inc. Qualification under the DDI establishes NanoXplore and VoltaXplore as part of the Government of Canada's pre-qualified supplier pool and enables the Company to participate in future opportunities related to uncrewed and autonomous systems in support of the Canadian Armed Forces and Canadian Coast Guard.

“Qualification under the Defence Drone Initiative Marketplace recognizes the vital role that advanced Canadian materials and battery cells can play in uncrewed and autonomous systems,” said Rocco Marinaccio, President and Chief Executive Officer of NanoXplore. “Through NanoXplore's graphene-enhanced composites and VoltaXplore's graphene-enhanced lithium-ion 21700 cells, we are positioned to domestically produce lightweight structural components and high-performance battery cells as part of Canada's sovereign defence supply chain.”

Launched by the Government of Canada in July 2026 and led by the Department of National Defence and the Defence Investment Agency, the Defence Drone Initiative is designed to accelerate the development, testing, adaptation and production of Canadian uncrewed and autonomous systems while strengthening domestic defence industrial capacity and sovereign capability. The DDI Marketplace connects the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces with pre-qualified Canadian suppliers through a streamlined procurement mechanism.

The DDI Marketplace is being established as the Government of Canada advances a planned investment of approximately $180 billion in direct defence procurement over the next decade and has identified uncrewed and autonomous systems as one of ten sovereign capability priorities under Canada's Defence Industrial Strategy.

About NanoXplore Inc.

NanoXplore is a graphene company and the largest manufacturer and supplier of high-volume graphene powder for use in multiple end markets with up to 5,000 tonnes of annual production capacity. The Corporation also provides standard and custom graphene-enhanced plastic and composite products to customers in the recreational vehicle, transportation, packaging, electronics, and other industrial sectors, and manufactures silicon-graphene-enhanced Li-ion batteries for the energy storage, industrial, and defense markets. NanoXplore holds over 100 patents and patent applications protecting its intellectual property, products, and process knowledge, and is one of a limited number of companies authorized to produce and sell graphene at commercial scale in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, holding Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and Health Canada certification, U.S. EPA certification, and UK and EU REACH registrations.

Please visit www.nanoxplore.ca  

For further information, please contact:  

Pedro Azevedo
Chief Financial Officer 
pedro.azevedo@nanoxplore.ca
Tel: +1 438 476 1973