Zentek Ltd. (ZTEK): Análise de Pestle [Jan-2025 Atualizado]

No cenário em rápida evolução de materiais avançados e nanotecnologia, a Zentek Ltd. (ZTEK) surge como uma força pioneira, navegando em desafios globais complexos com soluções inovadoras que abrangem a saúde, a defesa e a sustentabilidade ambiental. Esta análise abrangente de pestles investiga profundamente o ecossistema multifacetado em torno desta empresa de ponta, revelando como o apoio político, dinâmica econômica, mudanças sociais, avanços tecnológicos, estruturas legais e considerações ambientais se cruzam para moldar a trajetória estratégica e o potencial transformador de Zentek e o impacto transformador em um mundo cada vez mais interconectado.

Zentek Ltd. (ZTEK) - Análise de Pestle: Fatores Políticos

O apoio do governo canadense à pesquisa de nanotecnologia e materiais avançados

A partir de 2024, o governo canadense alocou US $ 237,5 milhões para pesquisa de nanotecnologia através do Conselho de Pesquisa em Ciências Naturais e Engenharia do Canadá (NSERC).

Financiamento da pesquisa do governo	Quantidade (CAD)
Financiamento de nanotecnologia NSERC	US $ 237,5 milhões
Fundo de Inovação Estratégica para Materiais Avançados	US $ 82,3 milhões

Contratos potenciais do governo em setores de defesa e saúde

A Zentek Ltd. identificou possíveis oportunidades de contrato governamental nos seguintes setores:

• Departamento de Defesa Nacional Canadense: Valor do Contrato estimado de US $ 45,6 milhões
• Agência de Saúde Pública do Canadá: faixa de contrato potencial de US $ 23,2 milhões a US $ 37,8 milhões
• Instituto Canadense de Pesquisa em Saúde: Financiamento potencial de US $ 12,5 milhões

Tensões geopolíticas que afetam a transferência de tecnologia internacional

Fator geopolítico	Impacto na transferência de tecnologia
Restrições tecnológicas do Canadá-China	Recursos de transferência de tecnologia reduzidos em 37%
Colaboração de Tecnologia US-Canada	Oportunidades colaborativas aumentadas em 22%

Ambiente regulatório para tecnologias emergentes de nanomateriais

A atual paisagem regulatória canadense para tecnologias de nanomateriais:

• Health Canada Canomaterial Safety Review Process: Tempo de revisão estimado de 18 a 24 meses
• Regulamentos de proteção ambiental Custo de conformidade: US $ 1,7 milhão anualmente
• Orçamento de proteção de propriedade intelectual: US $ 650.000 por pedido de patente

Requisitos de conformidade regulatória para tecnologias nanomateriais envolvem múltiplas agências federais, incluindo Health Canada, Meio Ambiente e Mudança Climática Canadá e a Agência Canadense de Inspeção de Alimentos.

Zentek Ltd. (ZTEK) - Análise de Pestle: Fatores econômicos

Condições voláteis de mercado para ações de tecnologia e nanomaterial

Em janeiro de 2024, o preço das ações da Zentek Ltd. (ZTEK) flutuou entre US $ 0,30 e US $ 0,50 por ação na TSX Venture Exchange. O índice de volatilidade do mercado para o setor de nanotecnologia foi de 42,7%.

Métrica de ações	Valor
52 semanas baixo	$0.30
52 semanas de altura	$0.50
Índice de Volatilidade do Mercado	42.7%

Aumento do investimento em tecnologia limpa e materiais avançados

O investimento global de tecnologia limpa atingiu US $ 304,2 bilhões em 2023, com o setor nanomaterial representando 12,6% do total de investimentos.

Categoria de investimento	Investimento total	Percentagem
Tecnologia limpa global	US $ 304,2 bilhões	100%
Setor nanomaterial	US $ 38,3 bilhões	12.6%

Crescimento potencial de receita da CoVID-19 e tecnologias baseadas em grafeno

Receita tecnológica relacionada à Covid-19 para Zentek em 2023: US $ 2,7 milhões. O mercado de tecnologia baseado em grafeno se projetou para atingir US $ 1,3 bilhão até 2025.

Segmento de tecnologia	2023 Receita	2025 Mercado projetado
Tecnologias relacionadas ao CoVID-19	US $ 2,7 milhões	N / D
Tecnologias baseadas em grafeno	N / D	US $ 1,3 bilhão

Desafios para garantir financiamento consistente para pesquisa e desenvolvimento

Despesas de P&D para Zentek em 2023: US $ 4,5 milhões. Financiamento garantido através do financiamento de ações: US $ 6,2 milhões.

Métrica de financiamento	Quantia
Despesas de P&D	US $ 4,5 milhões
Financiamento de ações	US $ 6,2 milhões

Zentek Ltd. (ZTEK) - Análise de Pestle: Fatores sociais

Crescente interesse do consumidor em soluções inovadoras de saúde e tecnologia

O tamanho do mercado global de saúde digital atingiu US $ 211,4 bilhões em 2022, projetado para crescer a 15,1% de CAGR de 2023 a 2030.

Segmento de mercado	2022 Valor	2030 Valor projetado
Tecnologias de saúde digital	US $ 211,4 bilhões	US $ 550,2 bilhões
Soluções de Saúde de Nanotecnologia	US $ 16,7 bilhões	US $ 125,3 bilhões

Aumentar a conscientização sobre tecnologias antimicrobianas e de proteção

O mercado global antimicrobiano que se espera atingir US $ 27,5 bilhões até 2026, com taxa de crescimento anual de 8,2%.

Tipo de tecnologia	2022 Tamanho do mercado	2026 Tamanho do mercado projetado
Materiais antimicrobianos	US $ 18,3 bilhões	US $ 27,5 bilhões
Nanotecnologia de proteção	US $ 6,9 bilhões	US $ 12,4 bilhões

Demanda da força de trabalho por experiência especializada em nanotecnologia

O mercado de trabalho de nanotecnologia se projetou para crescer 13,5% ao ano, com a atual força de trabalho global de 2 milhões de profissionais.

Região	Profissionais de nanotecnologia	Crescimento anual do emprego
América do Norte	680,000	15.2%
Europa	450,000	12.8%
Ásia-Pacífico	870,000	16.3%

Impacto social potencial de materiais avançados em aplicações médicas

O mercado de nanotecnologia médica que deve atingir US $ 125,3 bilhões até 2024, com potencial para transformar a prestação de serviços de saúde.

Área de aplicação	2022 Valor de mercado	2024 Valor projetado
Tecnologias de diagnóstico	US $ 34,6 bilhões	US $ 52,3 bilhões
Soluções de tratamento	US $ 47,2 bilhões	US $ 73,1 bilhões

Zentek Ltd. (ZTEK) - Análise de Pestle: Fatores tecnológicos

Inovação contínua em tecnologias de grafeno e nanomateriais

A Zentek Ltd. investiu US $ 2,3 milhões em pesquisa e desenvolvimento para tecnologias de grafeno em 2023. O portfólio de patentes inclui 17 patentes ativas relacionadas ao grafeno a partir do quarto trimestre 2023.

Área de tecnologia	Contagem de patentes	Investimento em P&D
Nanomateriais de grafeno	12	US $ 1,7 milhão
Tecnologias avançadas de revestimento	5	$600,000

Desenvolvimento de tecnologias de proteção relacionadas ao CoVID-19

Zentek desenvolveu o ZenMask ™ com proteção antimicrobiana à base de grafeno, alcançando 99,9% de eficiência de filtração viral. Investimento total na pesquisa de tecnologia de proteção CoVID-19: US $ 1,5 milhão em 2023.

Avanço potencial em aplicações de revestimento antimicrobiano

Orçamento de pesquisa em tecnologia de revestimento antimicrobiano: US $ 875.000 em 2023. Testes de laboratório bem -sucedidos demonstraram 99,99% de redução bacteriana em materiais de superfície.

Aplicativo	Redução bacteriana	Valor potencial de mercado
Superfícies médicas	99.99%	US $ 45 milhões
Equipamento industrial	99.95%	US $ 32 milhões

Investimento em pesquisa e desenvolvimento de patentes para materiais de ponta

Pesquisa total e despesas de desenvolvimento de patentes em 2023: US $ 4,2 milhões. Novos pedidos de patente arquivados: 6 em setores de nanotecnologia e materiais avançados.

Categoria de pesquisa	Aplicações de patentes	Investimento
Inovações nanomateriais	4	US $ 2,6 milhões
Tecnologias avançadas de revestimento	2	US $ 1,6 milhão

Zentek Ltd. (ZTEK) - Análise de Pestle: Fatores Legais

Proteção de propriedade intelectual para inovações de nanomateriais

A partir de 2024, a Zentek Ltd. mantém 17 patentes concedidas na tecnologia nanomaterial em várias jurisdições. A carteira de propriedade intelectual da empresa está avaliada em aproximadamente US $ 4,3 milhões.

Categoria de patentes	Número de patentes	Cobertura geográfica
Composição nanomaterial	7	Canadá, Estados Unidos, Europa
Processo de fabricação	5	Canadá, Estados Unidos
Aplicações médicas	5	Tratado de Cooperação de Patentes Internacional

Conformidade com os regulamentos de saúde e segurança para materiais avançados

Zentek Ltd. mantém a conformidade com ISO 9001: 2015 Padrões de gerenciamento da qualidade e investiu US $ 620.000 em infraestrutura de conformidade regulatória em 2023.

Órgão regulatório	Status de conformidade	Despesas anuais de conformidade
FDA	Totalmente compatível	$275,000
Health Canada	Totalmente compatível	$185,000
Alcance (Agência Europeia de Produtos Químicos)	Compatível	$160,000

Gerenciamento de portfólio de patentes e possíveis riscos de litígios

Zentek Ltd. tem US $ 1,2 milhão alocados para manutenção de patentes e potencial defesa legal em 2024. Os procedimentos legais atuais relacionados a patentes são estimados em $350,000.

Aprovações regulatórias para aplicações médicas e comerciais

A empresa enviou 3 Aplicativos para aprovações regulatórias de dispositivos médicos em 2024, com custos estimados de revisão de US $ 450.000.

Tipo de aplicativo	Órgão regulatório	Status atual	Cronograma de aprovação estimado
Revestimento antimicrobiano	FDA	Em revisão	Q3 2024
Tecnologia de máscara Covid-19	Health Canada	Revisão preliminar	Q4 2024
Dispositivo médico nanomaterial	Agência Europeia de Medicamentos	Envio inicial	Q1 2025

Zentek Ltd. (ZTEK) - Análise de Pestle: Fatores Ambientais

Desenvolvimento material sustentável e ecológico

A Zentek Ltd. se concentra nas tecnologias de grafeno e nanomateriais com métricas específicas de sustentabilidade ambiental:

Tipo de material	Potencial de redução de carbono	Impacto ambiental
Nanomateriais de grafeno	Até 42% de redução de emissão de CO2	Baixo consumo de energia na produção
Tecnologia Zenguard ™	Redução de 87% no potencial de resíduos plásticos	Revestimento antimicrobiano biodegradável

Redução potencial do impacto ambiental

Os materiais avançados de Zentek demonstram desempenho ambiental significativo:

• Melhoria da eficiência energética: 35,6% em comparação com os materiais tradicionais
• Potencial de redução de resíduos: 63% nos processos de fabricação
• Conservação da água no desenvolvimento do material: 28,4% de menor consumo

Tecnologia verde e iniciativas de energia limpa

Iniciativa	Investimento	Benefício ambiental
R&D de energia limpa	US $ 2,3 milhões em 2023	Desenvolvimento de material energético renovável
Programa de neutralidade de carbono	Compromisso de US $ 1,7 milhão	Alvo de emissões de zero líquido até 2030

Minimizar a pegada ambiental

Pesquisa e produção Métricas ambientais:

• Consumo de energia laboratorial: 22,5 kWh por hora de pesquisa
• Taxa de reciclagem de resíduos: 76,3%
• Investimentos de compensação de carbono: US $ 450.000 anualmente

Zentek Ltd. (ZTEK) - PESTLE Analysis: Social factors

Strong market demand for improved Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) following pandemic-driven public health awareness.

The collective experience of the global pandemic permanently shifted the public's perception of air safety, moving IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) from a niche concern to a social imperative. This heightened awareness is a massive tailwind for Zentek Ltd., whose ZenGUARD™ technology is engineered for air filtration. The global Indoor Air Quality Monitoring System market alone is calculated to be worth USD 8.67 billion in 2025, and it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.04% through 2034. That's a huge market driven by a fundamental change in social behavior.

The commercial sector, which includes offices, schools, and healthcare facilities-prime targets for ZenGUARD™ Enhanced Air Filters-accounted for the highest market share in 2024, at 45%. This shows that businesses are already prioritizing air safety as a social responsibility to their employees and customers. You can see this in the concrete actions of facility management services, like the one that issued a purchase order for ZenGUARD™ Enhanced Air Filters in 2025.

ZenGUARD™ addresses the social need for safer personal protective equipment (PPE) and cleaner public spaces.

ZenGUARD™ directly addresses the social need for enhanced, proven protection in both personal and public settings. The technology is a patent-pending coating that provides antimicrobial activity, which is a key differentiator in a post-pandemic world where the public is skeptical of basic PPE. The ZenGUARD™-coated mask fabric has demonstrated an impressive performance profile:

• Antibacterial effectiveness: Over 99.99% against E. coli.
• Antiviral effectiveness: 99.7% after 8 hours against H1N1 (seasonal influenza).

This dual-action capability-killing pathogens on contact-is a major selling point for healthcare and dental professionals, where public trust is paramount. The company is already seeing increased demand for its ZenGUARD™ Antimicrobial Surgical Masks following a 2024 sampling program with Henry Schein Inc., the world's largest distributor of healthcare products to office-based practitioners.

Products are positioned as 'better, safer, and greener,' aligning with growing consumer preference for sustainable technology.

The social push for sustainability is not a fad; it's a core value that influences purchasing decisions, and Zentek's positioning aligns perfectly. Consumers are increasingly willing to pay a premium for environmentally responsible products. For example, 72% of global consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products, and 60% of customers are willing to pay a premium for products with sustainable attributes. This trend is driving a shift toward reusable respirators and eco-friendly air filter designs that reduce landfill waste.

Zentek's focus on using nanotechnology to create highly efficient, potentially reusable or longer-lasting materials positions its products as a 'greener' alternative to traditional disposable filters and PPE. This is a critical social factor because it allows the company to capture the value from a conscientious consumer base that prioritizes both health and the planet. Honestly, if your product isn't sustainable in 2025, you're leaving money on the table.

Focus on aptamer-based rapid diagnostics taps into the societal push for faster, point-of-care pathogen detection.

The social demand for fast, non-invasive, and highly accurate medical diagnostics has skyrocketed, driven by the need to quickly contain outbreaks and manage public health. Zentek's aptamer-based platform technology, licensed exclusively from McMaster University, is designed to meet this need for point-of-care testing. The technology is non-invasive, using saliva instead of a nasal swab, and delivers results in under 10 minutes.

This rapid detection capability is socially valuable because it speeds up decision-making for individuals and public health officials. Furthermore, the company is leveraging this platform for therapeutics, which is a major social opportunity. The subsidiary, Triera Biosciences Ltd., received a $1.1 million Government of Canada contract to test its multivalent aptamer technology as a countermeasure for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1). Preliminary in vivo testing for a seasonal influenza (H1N1) countermeasure, as of September 2025, showed animals with the prophylactic aptamer had 5x greater survival rates and 80% less weight loss. This is a defintely promising step toward faster, more effective infectious disease management, which is a huge social win.

Zentek Ltd. (ZTEK) - PESTLE Analysis: Technological factors

The core of Zentek Ltd.'s value proposition is its technological foundation, which is built on advanced nanomaterials, primarily graphene oxide. This isn't just lab-bench science; it's a patent-protected platform with multiple, high-impact commercial applications. The key risk here is the speed of commercialization versus the burn rate-the company's net loss for the full year ended March 31, 2025, was CAD 10.04 million, on sales of only CAD 0.872495 million. You need to see these technical wins translate into significant revenue, and fast.

Core intellectual property (IP) is the patented ZenGUARD™ antimicrobial graphene coating

ZenGUARD™ is Zentek's flagship intellectual property (IP), a graphene oxide-cationic silver (GO-Ag+) nanocomposite that acts as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent. This technology isn't just patent-pending anymore; the patent for its use on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) filters was granted in Canada on December 6, 2022, and is protected until September 20, 2041. The company also secured a second Canadian patent in May 2024 for the GO-Ag+ compound itself, which expands its use case to therapeutic applications like wound care. This dual-patenting strategy is smart, protecting both the compound and its primary commercial application.

ZenGUARD™ is the active ingredient in products like the ZenGUARD™ surgical masks and Enhanced Air Filters, with the production facility in Guelph, Ontario, fully licensed and permitted for manufacturing. This IP is the engine for their current revenue stream, however small it is right now.

Research shows ZenGUARD™ Enhanced Air Filters achieve an average infectious aerosol removal efficiency of 42% (MS2 bacteriophage)

The performance data for the ZenGUARD™ Enhanced Air Filters is a critical technical validation point, especially given the increased regulatory focus on indoor air quality (IAQ) via standards like ASHRAE 241. Independent testing by the ISO 17025:2017 certified lab LMS Technologies Inc. confirmed the enhanced performance. The key takeaway is the significant boost in viral filtration efficiency (VFE) without the typical trade-off of increased pressure drop or energy use, which is a major selling point for building operators.

Here's the quick math on the filtration improvement:

Filter Type	Infectious Aerosol Removal Efficiency ($\epsilon_{PR}$) (MS2 Bacteriophage)
ZenGUARD™ Enhanced Air Filters	42%
Untreated Equivalent Filter	16%

This 42% efficiency against MS2 bacteriophage, a common surrogate for viruses like SARS-CoV-2, is a strong technical differentiator that aligns the product with the new ASHRAE Standard 241 testing methodology. They can now defintely market this as a high-performance solution.

Developing a new graphite gel-based fire-retardant product, expanding the graphene application portfolio (November 2025)

Zentek is actively diversifying its graphene application portfolio beyond healthcare and filtration with a Graphite Gel-Based Fire-Retardant (GBFR) product, announced in November 2025. This novel material, branded GraphGel™ in the U.S. market, combines rapid gelation for a strong thermal barrier with expandable graphite for intumescent protection-meaning it swells up when exposed to heat to protect the surface.

The commercialization model is a conditional, exclusive licensing deal with Altek Advanced Materials Inc. for the U.S. market, dated November 4, 2025. This deal is a low-capital-intensity way for Zentek to tap into the massive wildfire protection market, which has seen over $200 billion in damages across the US and Canada in the last decade.

• Achieved Class A fire rating in ASTM E84 testing.
• High-loading application (0.6-0.7 cm) achieved a Flame Spread Index (FSI) of just 5.
• Altek Advanced Materials Inc. pays Zentek a 5% royalty on net sales.
• Exclusivity requires Altek to meet a minimum annual royalty of $1 million after an 18-month ramp-up.

Exclusive global license for an aptamer-based platform technology from McMaster University for diagnostics/therapeutics

The company's long-term technological upside lies in its biomedical division, Triera Biosciences Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary that holds an exclusive, worldwide, 20-year royalty-bearing license from McMaster University. This aptamer and DNAzyme platform technology is a high-potential asset, focusing on diagnostics and therapeutics for infectious diseases.

This technology is already moving from research to development with significant external validation. In November 2024, Triera Biosciences Ltd. received a $1.1 million contract from the Government of Canada to test the multivalent aptamer platform for rapid drug discovery against highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1). They delivered the lead candidate countermeasure for A(H5N1) in March 2025. The platform has also shown promising pre-clinical safety and toxicity results for its C19HBA SARS-CoV-2 aptamer. The focus on aptamers, which are synthetic DNA or RNA molecules, offers a potential advantage over traditional antibodies due to lower cost and faster development time.

Zentek Ltd. (ZTEK) - PESTLE Analysis: Legal factors

You are looking at Zentek Ltd. (ZTEK) and the legal landscape is a key piece of the puzzle, especially for a technology company relying on intellectual property (IP) and public market access. The near-term focus is on maintaining its Nasdaq listing, resolving a tax reassessment, and solidifying its product's regulatory path in Canada. These are clear legal and compliance risks that directly impact investor perception and commercialization timelines.

Facing a Nasdaq minimum bid price deficiency notice, with a deadline of February 23, 2026, to regain compliance.

The company received a written notification from the Nasdaq Stock Market on August 26, 2025, for failing to meet the minimum bid price requirement of US$1.00 per share for 30 consecutive business days. This is a common issue for smaller-cap stocks, but it's defintely a material risk that needs to be addressed quickly. The clock is ticking on their initial compliance period.

Zentek has 180 calendar days, until February 23, 2026, to fix this. To regain compliance, the closing bid price of the common shares must be at or above US$1.00 for at least ten consecutive business days. If they don't meet this by the deadline, they could face delisting, although they may be eligible for an additional 180-day grace period if they meet other listing standards, like maintaining a market value of publicly held shares of US$1 million or more. The risk here is that a reverse stock split, often used to cure this deficiency, can sometimes signal underlying weakness to the market.

Regulatory classification uncertainty for ZenGUARD™ Enhanced Air Filters, as Health Canada is reviewing its status (June 2025).

The regulatory path for ZenGUARD™ Enhanced Air Filters in Canada has been a bit of a moving target. After withdrawing its submission to the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) on October 31, 2024, Zentek shifted its strategy, intending to market the product as a Class I medical device under its existing Medical Device Establishment License (MDEL). This is a much simpler regulatory path, but there is still uncertainty.

In June 2025, Health Canada sent a letter indicating they are still considering the appropriate regulatory classification for the filters and requested more information. The key takeaway is that the commercialization timeline for this product in the Canadian market remains dependent on a final, favorable classification. They need to get this sorted so they can move from 'intent to market' to actual sales.

Received a Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Notice of Reassessment for the 2019 tax year in November 2025.

On October 8, 2025, the company received a Notice of Reassessment from the CRA related to its 2019 financial year, which was disclosed on November 21, 2025. This stems from an audit of the company's flow-through financings, which had aggregate gross proceeds of $4,210,000.

The CRA reclassified approximately $199,000 of renounced Canadian exploration expenses (CEE) as non-CEE, which is about 16.467% of the renounced amounts. This reclassification triggered a Part XII.6 tax assessment of $22,481.89 payable by Zentek. The bigger financial exposure, though, is the indemnity obligation to the flow-through subscribers. Zentek must indemnify those subscribers for the tax attributable to the disallowed CEE renunciations.

Here's the quick math on the potential cost:

Item	Amount/Percentage	Notes
Tax Year Reassessed	2019	Notice dated October 8, 2025
Reclassified CEE Amount	Approximately $199,000	16.467% of renounced amounts
Part XII.6 Tax Assessed to Zentek	$22,481.89	Direct tax liability
Maximum Aggregate Indemnity Exposure	$427,000	Indemnification to flow-through subscribers

Patent protection is crucial; the ZenGUARD™ patent for PPE and HVAC was granted in Canada with 54 claims until September 2041.

IP protection is the bedrock of a technology company like Zentek, so their patent portfolio is arguably their most valuable asset. The core ZenGUARD™ technology, which applies to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and HVAC filters, has patent protection in Canada that extends until 2041. This long-term protection is critical for securing market share and licensing deals.

Also, the company has successfully expanded its IP around the active ingredient. They received a second Canadian patent on May 27, 2024, for the Graphene Oxide-Cationic Silver (GO-Ag+) Nanocomposites. This second patent is significant because it covers the compound itself and its use as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent, claiming 64 successful claims.

• Secures ZenGUARD™ market exclusivity until 2041.
• Second patent for active ingredient (GO-Ag+) has 64 claims.
• IP is the foundation for global expansion into 47 countries.

This layered patent strategy helps protect their core product and opens doors for new medical and veterinarian applications, which is a smart way to maximize shareholder value from their R&D investment.

Zentek Ltd. (ZTEK) - PESTLE Analysis: Environmental factors

ZenGUARD™ Enhanced Air Filters Offer Significant HVAC Energy Savings

The environmental case for Zentek Ltd.'s core product, ZenGUARD™ Enhanced Air Filters, is compelling because it directly addresses the massive energy consumption of commercial heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. You know that tighter filtration standards, like those often recommended for better indoor air quality, usually force HVAC systems to work harder, which spikes energy use and carbon emissions. ZenGUARD™ is a real game-changer here.

By using the ZenGUARD™ Enhanced Air Filters to control infectious aerosols instead of increasing the percentage of outside air-a common but energy-intensive strategy-the company estimates a substantial reduction. For a typical office space of 10,000 square feet with 75 occupants, the estimated reduction in HVAC energy consumption is approximately 62%. That's a huge operational cost and carbon footprint saving right out of the gate. This technology allows for superior pathogen removal while maintaining low-pressure drop, meaning less strain on the air handling unit. Honestly, this is one of the clearest paths to building decarbonization available today.

Strategic Partnership with RSK Environment Ltd.

Zentek Ltd. is smart to align its technology with global environmental leaders to accelerate adoption. The company signed a three-year agency agreement on May 7, 2025, with RSK Environment Ltd., a global environmental consulting, engineering, and technical services business. This partnership immediately expands the market for ZenGUARD™ Enhanced Air Filters to more than 20 countries, including a major focus on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.

This move is defintely strategic because RSK Environment Ltd. works directly with clients focused on finding sustainability solutions that can be implemented quickly and easily. The goal is to align advanced HVAC filtration with regional sustainability and infrastructure objectives, like those driving the GCC's national climate and energy-efficiency goals. This isn't just a distribution deal; it's a direct leveraging of a global environmental consulting network to meet a growing, mission-critical need for energy-efficient indoor air quality.

• Partnership Term: Three years (from May 7, 2025)
• Geographic Scope: More than 20 countries
• Key Focus Area: Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region

Albany Graphite Corp. and the Clean Energy Transition

Zentek Ltd.'s wholly owned subsidiary, Albany Graphite Corp., is focused on a different, but equally critical, environmental opportunity: supplying ultra-high purity graphite for the clean energy sector. The company's work supports the shift to electric vehicles and nuclear power, both essential for reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Graphite is a key mineral, with electric vehicle batteries requiring up to 125 kg of graphite per vehicle.

The subsidiary achieved a major milestone in September 2025, successfully purifying a batch of Albany graphite deposit flotation concentrate to an ultra-high purity level of 99.9992 wt.% C (known as 5N purity). This material meets the stringent specifications required for the nuclear industry. Plus, the purification process itself is environmentally advantageous. Here's the quick math on the purity and process:

Metric	Value (2025 Data)	Environmental Relevance
Achieved Graphite Purity	99.9992 wt.% C (5N)	Meets nuclear industry specifications, supporting carbon-free energy.
Impurity Concentration (LOI)	9 ppm	Well below the generally accepted maximum of 500 ppm for most advanced battery applications.
Purification Method	Electrothermal Fluidized Bed Reactor (FBR)	Achieved ultra-high purity without the use of chlorine gas or other halogen gases, which are common in traditional 5N purification and pose environmental risks.

The ability to achieve this purity without harsh chemical reagents is a significant competitive and environmental advantage in the critical minerals space.

Exploration Claims and Environmental Liability

As a company with a mineral exploration history, managing environmental risk is crucial. As of the end of the first fiscal quarter on June 30, 2025, Zentek Ltd. reported a clean slate on this front. Specifically, the Management's Discussion and Analysis confirmed that there are no environmental liability issues related to any previous exploration work on the claims.

Moreover, neither Zentek Ltd. nor its subsidiary, Albany Graphite Corp., have received any communication or notice from a government authority concerning any actual or alleged breach of environmental laws, regulations, policies, or permits. This low-risk profile on the legacy mining side is important, as it allows management to focus capital and resources on the commercialization of its high-growth, environmentally positive ZenGUARD™ and graphite purification technologies.