MONTREAL, Canada — HPQ Silicon Inc. (“HPQ” or the “Company”) (TSX-V: HPQ) (OTCQB: HPQFF) (FRA: O08), a technology company driving innovation in advanced materials and critical process development, is proud to announce that its French technology partner, NOVACIUM SAS (“Novacium”), has launched the industrial production of cylindrical lithium-ion battery cells incorporating its third-generation silicon-based anode material (“GEN3”).
Following the press releases dated July 30, 2024, and March 19, 2025, which highlighted the strong performance of 18650 cells made using its GEN3 silicon-based anode material, Novacium has attracted significant interest from a number of key players in the energy sector. The resulting cells — offering a capacity of 4,000 mAh and 1,000 charge cycles — are particularly well-suited to the demanding requirements of the mobility, consumer electronics, telecommunications, and defense industries.
In response to this growing demand, Novacium has decided to accelerate the industrial deployment of its technology by shifting toward large-scale production.
“This strategic acceleration is a response to the strong market interest,” said Dr. Jed Kraiem, Ph.D., Chief Operating Officer of Novacium. “Our objective is to deliver the first commercial units and begin formalizing partnerships before the end of Q3 2025.”
To meet this ambitious timeline, Novacium has partnered with a leading industrial player [1], who rapidly integrated the GEN3 silicon-based anode into its manufacturing line—faster than expected. This rapid success confirms a key advantage of the GEN3 technology: its compatibility with existing production infrastructure. Initial industrial production has yielded cylindrical cells in both the 18650 and 21700 formats, with capacities of 4,000 mAh and 6,000 mAh, respectively—performance levels among the highest currently available on the market [2], and fully consistent with prior lab-scale results.
Image 1) First batches of cylindrical Novacium cells in the 18650 and 21700 formats.
Image 1) premiers lots de cellules Novacium cylindriques aux formats 18650 et 21700
This progress was enabled by Novacium’s decision to collaborate with a partner already operating tens of millions of cells in annual production capacity. As a result, Novacium is positioned to scale rapidly and target significant commercial volumes in the coming months.
“The outstanding performance of these new commercial cells validates not only our technology but also our agile and opportunistic industrial strategy,” added Dr. Kraiem. “We have moved beyond the laboratory—we are now delivering market-ready cells for evaluation and adoption by partners and future customers.”
This strategic pivot also supports revenue generation, expands investment potential, and enables HPQ—the exclusive North American licensee of the GEN3 technology—to prepare for local production. HPQ aims to address the continent’s growing battery demand and initiate its own manufacturing in Canada.
“This rapid launch confirms that our partnership with Novacium—and our broader commercial vision—is delivering tangible, market-ready results,” said Bernard Tourillon, CEO of HPQ Silicon Inc. and Novacium SAS. “We are not here to follow the market—we are here to help shape it.”
“With our exclusive North American license and the significant technical progress made by Novacium, HPQ is strategically positioned to benefit from technology transfer, meet growing demand, generate revenues before year-end, and lay the groundwork for high-value local production,” Mr. Tourillon added. “This marks a pivotal milestone in the monetization of our technology portfolio.”
This launch underscores HPQ and Novacium’s ability to rapidly transition from R&D to industrialization—a vital advantage in the global race for electrification and next-generation energy storage solutions.
REFERENCE SOURCES
[1] For commercial reasons, the name of the selected leading industrial partner will not be disclosed at this stage.
[2] Industrial watch on cylindrical batteries carried out by HPQ and Novacium.
About NOVACIUM SAS
Novacium is a green technology start-up based in Lyon, France. It was founded through a partnership between HPQ Silicon Inc.—a Canadian company specializing in critical materials—and three high-level French research engineers: Dr. Jed Kraiem, Chief Operating Officer (COO); Dr. Oleksiy Nichiporuk, Chief Technology Officer (CTO); and Dr. Julien Degoulange, Chief Innovation Officer (CIO).
Together, they founded Novacium with the goal of developing proprietary technologies in high value-added sectors linked to renewable energy. The partnership with HPQ was designed to combine their scientific expertise with HPQ’s industrial vision to advance silicon-related initiatives and explore new opportunities in clean technologies.
HPQ Silicon is a Quebec-based TSX Venture Exchange Tier 1 Industrial Issuer. With the support of world-class technology partners PyroGenesis Canada and NOVACIUM SAS, the company is developing new green processes crucial to make the critical materials needed to reach net zero emissions.
