Mr. Blake Hylands reports

LITHIUM IONIC ENGAGES RTEK TO SUPPORT CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATIONAL READINESS OF BANDEIRA PROJECT; ANNOUNCES LEADERSHIP TRANSITION TO STRENGTHEN PROJECT EXECUTION

Pursuant to a service agreement signed April 2, 2025, Lithium Ionic Corp. has engaged RTEK International DMCC as a strategic adviser to fast-track the development of its flagship Bandeira lithium project in Brazil's prolific Lithium Valley. This long-term partnership integrates world-class lithium expertise into Lithium Ionic's owner's team as the project transitions from feasibility to construction and operations.

RTEK is recognized globally for its technical and operational expertise in the lithium sector. The team has over 80 years of combined lithium experience in chemical and metallurgical operations, process development, geology, and project execution. Its record of accelerating project timelines, reducing capital intensity and launching successful lithium operations globally will be instrumental in unlocking the full value of the Bandeira project.

Blake Hylands, PGeo, chief executive officer of Lithium Ionic, commented: "We are thrilled to welcome RTEK's deeply experienced team to support Bandeira's next phase of growth. Their lithium-specific expertise, paired with a history of delivering high performance operations, aligns perfectly with our vision for Bandeira. With construction approaching, RTEK's involvement strengthens our execution capabilities and brings valuable insight from proven success in Brazil's Lithium Valley."

RTEK is led by a globally recognized team of lithium industry veterans, including Brian Talbot, Nicholas Rowley, Noel O'Brien and Rodrigo Roso, who have delivered results across the full mine life cycle from feasibility through to production. As part of the owner's team, RTEK will conduct a detailed review of Lithium Ionic's National Instrument 43-101 feasibility study, identifying opportunities to optimize plant and mine design, reduce capital and operating expenditures, and explore strategies to compress the development timeline, ultimately positioning Bandeira as one of Brazil's next high-impact lithium producers.

Beyond engineering management and construction planning, RTEK will also develop a comprehensive operational strategy. This includes optimizing processes, managing commissioning and overseeing ramp-up activities to ensure best-in-class production performance.

Brian Talbot, founder and director of RTEK, commented: "We're excited to join forces with Lithium Ionic at such a pivotal moment in the development of the Bandeira project. With a strong foundation already in place, we see excellent potential to accelerate the advancement of this project to production by applying proven strategies in design optimization, cost-efficiency and execution discipline. Bandeira has all the hallmarks of a globally competitive lithium operation, and we look forward to helping unlock that value as part of the owner's team."

Mr. Talbot is a seasoned lithium executive with extensive operational experience leading some of the world's most prominent hardrock lithium operations. He previously served as chief operating officer of Sigma Lithium, where he transitioned the Grota do Cirilo project in Brazil from construction to production. At Galaxy Resources (now Arcadium Lithium), he played a key role in doubling output at the Mount Cattlin mine in Australia and driving operational improvements. His deep expertise in dense media separation technology, process optimization and mine development has consistently delivered strong results, making him instrumental in positioning Bandeira as a future leading lithium producer.

Mr. Rowley brings over 16 years of experience in strategic mergers and acquisitions, equity financings, and commodity trading, with a strong focus on building supply chains to Asia, particularly for lithium ore sourced from Australia, South America and Africa. During his tenure at Galaxy Resources (now Arcadium Lithium), he played a pivotal role in M&A, leading the corporate development team in forging strategic partnerships, securing offtake agreements and managing asset divestitures. His efforts were instrumental in facilitating the $4-billion (U.S.) merger with Orocobre Ltd., creating one of the world's leading lithium producers globally.

Mr. O'Brien is a seasoned metallurgist with over 40 years of global experience in lithium processing, project development and operations. He has held senior technical and advisory roles across numerous high-profile lithium projects, including Mount Holland (Wesfarmers), Goulamina (formerly owned by Birimian Ltd.), Galaxy Resources (now Arcadium Lithium) and Bikita Minerals. Known for his expertise in flow sheet design, cost-effective processing solutions and project execution, he has advanced projects from concept to commissioning. His extensive experience will be key to optimizing Bandeira's design and ensuring efficient operational readiness.

Mr. Roso is a mining executive and corporate lawyer with over 20 years of experience in project development, corporate finance, and M&A. Throughout his career, he has played a pivotal role in the execution of projects exceeding $35-billion in capex, contributing to the growth and success of major mining enterprises, with involvement at companies such as Sigma Lithium, Vale, Mosaic, Largo Resources and Yamana. His broad experience spans both in-house leadership and advisory roles, giving him a strong command of legal, regulatory and strategic frameworks critical to advancing mining assets. His strategic insight and deep industry knowledge will be instrumental in supporting the successful development and execution of the Bandeira project.

About the RTEK agreement

Pursuant to the RTEK agreement, RTEK consultants will be integrated with Lithium Ionic's owner's team to drive the advancement of the Bandeira project. Its mandate includes progressing detailed engineering, optimizing the operational design, and identifying opportunities to reduce capex and opex to ensure cost-efficiencies and prepare the project for construction readiness.

Unless terminated pursuant to the terms therein, the RTEK agreement shall continue until the completion of the services. As consideration for the services: (i) Lithium Ionic and RTEK shall agree on an operational budget, which shall be paid in cash; and (ii) if RTEK achieves certain operational milestones, including the reduction in project capex, project implementation and commissioning of a dense media separation plan for the project, RTEK shall be entitled to compensation in Lithium Ionic common shares. The share compensation will only be issued following the completion of the applicable milestone, and the price per Lithium Ionic share shall be determined after the milestone has been completed.

The RTEK agreement and all share compensation are subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval. All Lithium Ionic common shares issued in connection with the RTEK agreement will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months and a day in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws.

The Bandeira project has rapidly established itself as one of the fastest-growing and most promising lithium assets in Brazil's Lithium Valley, with a robust feasibility study outlining strong economics, bottom-quartile operating costs and a near-term path to production. The engagement of RTEK reinforces Lithium Ionic's commitment to leveraging world-class expertise as it transitions from feasibility into construction on its path toward becoming Brazil's next major lithium producer.

Leadership transition to support next phase of project development

Lithium Ionic also announces a change in its senior management team. Mike Westendorf, who joined the company in February, 2024, as vice-president, technical services, has been appointed chief operating officer, replacing Paulo Misk. Mr. Westendorf has over two decades of operational and technical experience in the mining industry, including leadership roles at Copper Mountain Mining Corp., where he oversaw production, capital projects and technical performance. Since joining Lithium Ionic, he has played a key role in advancing the Bandeira project, including his significant contributions to the feasibility study released in May, 2024. The company thanks Mr. Misk for his contributions and wishes him all the best in his future endeavours.

About Lithium Ionic Corp.

Lithium Ionic is a Canadian mining company exploring and developing its lithium properties in Brazil. Its Itinga and Salinas group of properties covers approximately 17,000 hectares in the northeastern part of Minas Gerais state, a mining-friendly jurisdiction that is quickly emerging as a world-class hardrock lithium district. Its feasibility-stage Bandeira project is situated in the same region as CBL's Cachoeira lithium mine, which has produced lithium for 30-plus years, as well as Sigma Lithium's Grota do Cirilo project, which hosts the largest hardrock lithium deposit in the Americas.

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