2026-02-24, 5:12:35 a.m.
TORONTO, February 24, 2026 — Leads & Copy — NEO Battery Materials Ltd. (TSXV: NBM) (OTC: NBMFF), a Canadian battery technology company, has entered a Strategic Technology Partnership (STP) with South Korean-based Zio Robot Co., Ltd., an AI logistics robotics company backed by Samsung Electronics. The collaboration aims to integrate high-energy lithium-ion battery cells optimized for Zio’s “Mobile Worker” (MW) series of autonomous mobile robots (AMR) used in payload logistics.
The partnership will focus on enhancing energy density and high-rate discharge capability compared to the Chinese-manufactured batteries currently used in Zio’s MW platforms, with the goal of increasing payload capacity and extending operational runtime.
NEO and Zio will prototype and deliver integrated battery solutions to Zio’s anchor collaborators, including Samsung Electronics, where MW systems are deployed for industrial and manufacturing logistics.
Zio’s MW platform handles payloads of up to 6,000 kilograms. The company’s modular architecture enables multiple MW units to link and unlink based on site requirements, reducing initial deployment costs while supporting flexible customization across targeted industries. The platform combines AMR systems with intelligent control algorithms and an omnidirectional driving system to enhance mission capabilities and human-robot interaction (HRI).
Dr. Tae Hun Kang, CEO of Zio, anticipates that NEO’s high-performance batteries will provide MW robots with a competitive edge in logistics. Kang added that the partnership presents an opportunity for Zio to develop higher-load MW models that exceed current maximum payload capabilities and to expand beyond current serviceable markets and applications by diversifying battery procurement away from Chinese suppliers to NEO.
Mr. Spencer Huh, President & CEO of NEO, stated that Zio’s logistics robots face battery constraints similar to drone platforms, where runtime and payload capacity are directly limited by cell-level performance. He added that this partnership extends NEO’s approach into another high-growth vertical in physical AI and that Western and Western-allied robotics and industrial automation sectors are seeking non-Chinese, application-specific battery solutions, which NEO is positioned to fulfill.
Zio Robot, founded in 2022 by researchers from Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), specializes in AMR-based logistics robotics for various environments, including hospitals, industrial warehouses, and manufacturing facilities. Zio Robot has been backed by Samsung Electronics through C-Lab Outside, a startup accelerator formed by Samsung.
NEO Battery Materials is focused on developing and producing silicon-enhanced lithium-ion batteries in drones, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), robotics, unmanned systems, electronics, electric vehicles, and energy storage systems for AI data centers. The company aims to be a globally-leading producer of high-performance lithium-ion battery components and materials, building a secure, robust battery supply chain in North America.
Source: NEO Battery Materials Ltd.
