California Nanotechnologies Corp. announced that it has signed a new lease agreement for an additional manufacturing facility in Santa Ana, California. This marks a significant milestone in the expansion of the Company's production capabilities and footprint, and positions Cal Nano for continued growth and innovation within the advanced materials industry.

The newly secured lease encompasses an approximate 19,500 square foot facility, spanning a five-year term with a base monthly rent of USD 31,185, exclusive of utilities. Situated approximately a 20-minute car commute from the Cerritos-based facility, this new location represents a substantial upgrade from Cal Nano's current approximately 3,500 square foot site, which it expects to continue operating in the near term. The expansion plan is expected to allow the Company to meet growing market demands, start delivering parts for customers, expand capabilities with newly purchased equipment, and ensure continuity.

Central to the decision in selecting this new location was its existing high electrical amperage capacity, allowing Cal Nano to set up and more cost effectively operate its cutting-edge spark plasma sintering (SPS) and cryomilling technologies. In addition, by retaining both facilities, the Company aims to ensure uninterrupted operations by housing existing equipment at the current site while deploying its other machinery and resources at the newly leased facility over time. The first equipment expected to be installed will be the used cryomill purchased in mid-2023, a second larger used cryomill purchased in early February 2024, along with the associated cryogenics and material handling infrastructure needed to support the higher throughput operations.

The newly purchased cryomilling equipment reflects a significant increase in production capacity and efficiency, increasing from the existing 25 gallons limit to a combined potential of 160 gallons when fully installed and operational. Cal Nano believes that the base milling equipment, which still requires the implementation of Cal Nano's intellectual property and upgrades, was acquired at an attractive price point, representing a fraction of the cost of comparable new models. Cal Nano continues to explore the potential purchase of larger scale SPS equipment for installation at the facility as well.

Cal Nano strives to be a North American leader in SPS and cryomilling R&D and production services. To the best of the Company's knowledge, no other facilities in North America possess the capability to support both growing technologies in commercially producing state-of-the-art materials for new markets.