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FGR accelerates USA expansion & defence sector exposure with strategic acquisition of MITO® Material Solutions

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FGR enters binding agreement to acquire all assets, intellectual property, product lines and manufacturing capabilities of USA-based MITO® Material Solutions, Inc.Strategic acquisition expands FGR’s product portfolio into high-value functionalised graphene technologiesSignificantly strengthens FGR’s exposure to rapidly emerging USA defence and aerospace opportunities involving graphene enhanced technologiesDelivers immediate USA revenues and a substantial growth pipeline with >25 clients in late-stage testing across various sectorsEstablishes a direct-to-market commercial platform in the USACombined with FGR’s existing PureGRAPH® technologies, this acquisition creates one of the broadest and most advanced graphene product portfolios globally

SYDNEY, June 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — First Graphene Limited (ASX: FGR; “First Graphene” or “the Company”) (FRA:M11) (OTCQB:FGPHF) is pleased to announce that it has entered a binding Sale Agreement (“Agreement”) to acquire all product lines, manufacturing equipment and intellectual property of MITO® Material Solutions, Inc (“MITO”).

Importantly, the acquisition will expand First Graphene’s capability to functionalise graphite, graphene and graphene oxide — increasingly important materials used across a broad range of commercial and defence applications to enhance the performance of advanced material additives.

The agreement includes acquiring MITO’s E-GO®, LIGRA™, OMEGA and DELTA product lines, which represent a suite of thermoset, thermoplastic, composite materials, coatings, liquids, resins and nanomaterial additives.

FGR accelerates strategic expansion into the United States

The acquisition represents a strategic step for FGR, significantly broadening the Company’s technology platform beyond high-performance graphene powders and dispersions into advanced

graphene oxide, hybrid graphene additives and functionalised nanomaterial technologies.

Importantly, the acquisition also establishes FGR with a direct operational and commercial platform within the USA, enhancing access to the world’s largest defence and advanced materials market, positioning the Company to pursue new areas for revenue growth, customer penetration and strategic partnerships.

Expanding defence and aerospace opportunities

The acquisition, by creating an operating presence in the USA, enhances FGR’s exposure to emerging USA defence and aerospace opportunities involving graphene enhanced technologies.

Functionalised graphene and graphene oxide technologies are increasingly recognised as critical enabling materials across aerospace and defence applications due to their ability to improve interfacial bonding, mechanical performance, conductivity, durability and multifunctionality.

Recent US Department of Defence and DARPA1 initiatives have increasingly focused on lightweight graphene enhanced composite structures, thermal management systems, advanced energy materials and next-generation survivability materials.

FGR’s acquisition of MITO builds directly on the Company’s materials portfolio with potential defence applications, including perovskite solar technologies for endurance drones through the Company’s partnership with Halocell, mechanically strengthened composites, carbon fibre technologies and advanced conductive and Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) shielding additive systems.

Proven products with established US customers

MITO’s products are already deployed by multiple premium USA brands seeking advanced material performance enhancements, including Parlor Skis, Folsom Custom Skis and St. Croix Rods.

Parlor Skis uses MITO’s graphene enhanced E-GO® technology to improve the strength-to-weight ratio, responsiveness and durability of high-performance custom skis. Graphene enhanced composite systems reduce weight while maintaining structural stiffness and vibration damping, key performance attributes in high end ski hardware.

Folsom Custom Skis incorporates MITO’s graphene technologies to improve composite laminate performance, delivering increased durability, enhanced flex control and improved energy transfer characteristics for high-performance ski applications.

St. Croix Rods utilises graphene enhanced additive systems to improve sensitivity, strength and lightweight performance in fishing rods. Graphene enhanced materials assist in improving toughness and responsiveness while reducing overall product weight.

MITO’s customer portfolio validates the commercial applicability of its functionalisation technologies in demanding real-world applications where performance advantages are critical.

These applications can apply directly into large scale industrial and defence opportunities.

Market-ready business on doorstep of a massive market

The take-forward business has already conducted 8 years of R&D and product development to deliver market-deployable materials readily manufactured and sold to existing customers.

Future R&D and manufacturing capabilities will leverage FGR’s existing expertise, minimising the impact of overheads while also providing an opportunity to toll manufacture in North America.

The USA sports market is valued at more than US$1 trillion2, while defence spend by the USA Department of Defence alone has reached USD$1.18 trillion3, presenting immense opportunity for First Graphene to deliver performance enhancing solutions across two high-value markets.

Advantageous success-based terms

Under the Agreement the acquisition will be completed for a cash-stock consideration, predominantly underpinned by a two-tranche allocation of FGR stock on achieving strict MITO product sales targets over a 24-month period.

Commenting on First Graphene’s push into the US, Managing Director and CEO, Michael Bell, said:

“The acquisition of MITO Material Solutions assets represents a transformational push into the USA market for First Graphene, immediately expanding the Company’s product portfolio further into graphene oxide and functionalised graphene technologies – two rapidly emerging segments of the advanced materials market. Combined with our existing PureGRAPH® technologies, this acquisition creates one of the broadest and most advanced graphene product portfolios globally.

MITO has established commercial traction with premium USA customers and built a substantial pipeline of opportunities across sporting goods, industrial composites and advanced materials.

Importantly, this acquisition provides First Graphene with a direct operational and commercial launch platform into the USA, enabling the business to aggressively accelerate revenue growth and customer adoption in the world’s largest advanced materials and defence market. The addition of graphene oxide and functionalisation capabilities significantly strengthens our ability to deliver next-generation performance additives across defence, aerospace, composites, coatings, polymers and energy applications.

The graphene industry is approaching a major commercial inflection point. Customers are increasingly seeking proven suppliers such as First Graphene with scaled manufacturing, differentiated technology and real commercial capability.

With two acquisitions underway, expanding commercial revenues, growing defence exposure and a significantly enhanced technology platform, FGR is building substantial momentum globally.”

Ends

References
1Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)

2Global Institute of Sport

3Department of Defense

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SOURCE First Graphene Limited

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Agile Robots Launches Agile ONE SN Humanoid at NVIDIA GTC Berlin and Pilots Humanoids with Audi

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BERLIN, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On 21 October, Agile Robots and NVIDIA launched the research humanoid Agile ONE SN at NVIDIA GTC Berlin. Agile Robots has released its new-generation Diana 7 and Diana 3 arms, both supporting the Franka Control Interface (FCI).

Agile ONE SN: humanoid reference platform

Agile ONE SN is built on the NVIDIA Isaac GR00T development platform. The 1.4-metre, 43-kilogram humanoid has dual WUJI tactile five-finger hands and 71 degrees of freedom in total, runs on NVIDIA Jetson Thor and ships with the GR00T 1.7 open VLA model. Skills developed on it can transfer to the full-size industrial Agile ONE. Availability is planned for early 2027.

Two days earlier, at the Invest in Germany Summit in Berlin, NVIDIA announced plans to invest in Agile Robots.

“Agile ONE SN gives R&D labs around the world a complete humanoid platform that is ready from day one,” said Dr. Zhaopeng Chen, founder and CEO of Agile Robots.

Application: humanoids in Audi’s logistics

Agile Robots, AUDI AG, Dassault Systèmes and NVIDIA also announced a joint project at Audi’s Ingolstadt plant. In the Audi Production Lab, mobile humanoids pick parts from containers and sequence them for final assembly, a task performed around one million times a day. The workcell is first tested in a DELMIA virtual twin accelerated by NVIDIA Omniverse libraries.

Diana 7 and Diana 3: one interface, from lab to industrial payloads

Diana 7 extends Franka Research 3 to higher payloads and reach, while Diana 3 brings the same force-control platform to entry-level research. Both share ±0.05 mm repeatability and 0.5 N relative force-control accuracy, and both support FCI, so Franka Research 3 code moves directly to Diana.

Diana 3 keeps seven degrees of freedom, joint torque sensing and compliant control for precision manipulation, lab automation and sample handling. Diana 7, shown at the 26th China International Industry Fair in Shanghai (12–16 October), offers 7 kg payload and 923 mm reach, and weighs 2 kg less than before.

About Agile Robots

Founded in Munich in 2018 by robotics researchers from the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Agile Robots provides AI-powered robotics solutions and employs more than 3,500 people worldwide. With its subsidiaries BÄR Automation, Franka Robotics, idealworks and Krause Automation, it covers all areas of AI-driven robotics.

For inquiries, please contact us via apac-sales@agile-robots.com and visit our official website at www.agile-robots.com 

CONTACT:
Agile Robots
apac-sales@agile-robots.com 

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SOURCE Agile Robots

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ECOVACS WINBOT W3 OMNI Named to TIME’s Best Inventions of 2026

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NEW YORK, Oct. 27, 2026 /CNW/ — ECOVACS ROBOTICS, a global leader in home service robotics, is honored to announce that its WINBOT W3 OMNI has been named to TIME’s Best Inventions of 2026 list[1]. This recognition underscores ECOVACS’ leadership in the robotic window cleaning, driven by relentless technological innovation, and highlights how these breakthroughs are reshaping everyday life in meaningful ways.

Acclaimed by TIME for turning the demanding task of cleaning floor-to-ceiling windows into a more effortless experience, WINBOT W3 OMNI builds on ECOVACS’ strong market position in the category, with the company shipping approximately 1.075 million robotic window cleaners in the first half of 2026 and capturing over 50%[2] of the global robotic window cleaner market in 2025. This market leadership is underpinned by ECOVACS’ pioneering role in defining and continuously advancing the robotic window cleaner category. Since introducing WINBOT, ECOVACS has continued to drive user-focused innovations that elevate cleaning performance, simplify the cleaning process, and bring greater autonomy to window care.

For more than two decades, TIME Best Inventions list recognizes groundbreaking innovations with the potential to change how we live, work, play, and think about what’s possible. Selected through a rigorous editorial process, ECOVACS WINBOT W3 OMNI earns its place on TIME’s Best Inventions of 2026 list, recognized for its originality, efficacy, ambition, and impact.

WINBOT’s recognition by TIME as one of the Best Inventions reflects more than a single product breakthrough. It is built on ECOVACS’ years of technological expertise, extensive patent portfolio and ability to leverage core technologies across robotics, sensing, algorithms and intelligent manufacturing. With more than 3,100 patents granted and over RMB 5.2 billion invested in R&D since 2018, ECOVACS has established a strong technological foundation for translating its broader robotics capabilities into innovations tailored to the unique challenges of window cleaning. This accumulated expertise enables the continuous evolution of WINBOT, helping advance the category and deliver increasingly intelligent, reliable and effective cleaning experiences.

Showcasing ECOVACS’ innovation prowess, WINBOT W3 OMNI features a revolutionary station equipped with Vortex Wash, the industry’s first contact-free wiping pad washing system that eliminates the hassle of hand-washing dirty pads. Combined with the TruEdge scrubber, which brings precise edge-to-edge cleaning with millimeter-level accuracy, WINBOT W3 OMNI delivers a more thorough, hands-off cleaning experience.

Beyond WINBOT, ECOVACS is bringing robotics to more corners of everyday life through its expanding multi-category portfolio, from indoor floor care to outdoor pool cleaning and lawn maintenance, to make daily life easier and give people more time for what matters most.

About ECOVACS ROBOTICS:

Founded in 2006, ECOVACS ROBOTICS is a global leader in home service robotics with a diverse portfolio of products encompassing robotic vacuum cleaners and robotic window cleaners. With its expansion into robotic lawn mowers, commercial cleaning robots, robotic pool cleaners and robotic pet companions, ECOVACS solidified its position as a multi-category leader in home service robotics.

Guided by the vision “Robotics for All”, ECOVACS continues to advance technology and enhance the user experience to make life smarter and more stylish for consumers worldwide. With sales subsidiaries in Germany, the United States, Japan, and Singapore, ECOVACS products reach nearly 180 major markets and serve over 38 million households globally.

A testament to this market leadership, ECOVACS ROBOTICS has ranked first in China’s robotic vacuum cleaner market by share for ten consecutive years (2015-2024).

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SOURCE ECOVACS ROBOTICS

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Compal and ARC Cloud Forge Strategic Partnership to Accelerate Large-Scale AI Infrastructure

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The MOU outlines a global strategic collaboration spanning advanced AI computing systems, high-performance GPU clusters and next-generation data center infrastructure.

SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Compal Electronics, Inc. (TWSE: 2324) (“Compal”) and ARC Cloud today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to advance their strategic collaboration in large-scale AI computing infrastructure.

Signed during the 2026 OCP Global Summit, the MOU establishes a framework for collaboration across multiple projects. As part of their broader collaboration, the companies will explore opportunities related to a data center development roadmap of up to 100 MW. The partnership also aligns with ARC Cloud’s plans for continued expansion through significant capital investments in AI infrastructure and data center development across the United States, including California, Nevada, Texas and Georgia.

The collaboration brings together Compal’s advanced AI server technologies and manufacturing expertise with ARC Cloud’s end-to-end capabilities in AI infrastructure investment and the design, deployment and operation of large-scale GPU clusters.

The partnership extends beyond AI server supply to encompass system engineering, technical validation, deployment coordination and ongoing support. By aligning advanced computing technologies with infrastructure requirements, the companies aim to accelerate the delivery of computing capacity for AI model training, fine-tuning and inference.

“AI computing is moving toward increasingly integrated, high-density systems that require closer coordination between technology manufacturers and infrastructure providers,” said Alan Chang, Vice President of Infrastructure Systems Business Group (ISBU) at Compal. “Our partnership with ARC Cloud allows us to build on our engineering strengths and explore new opportunities to support the growing NeoCloud market.”

How the Companies Will Work Together

Under the MOU, Compal will contribute its expertise in AI server manufacturing, rack-scale integration and liquid-cooling technologies. ARC Cloud will bring its capabilities in infrastructure investment, strategic technology partnerships, and the engineering and operation of high-performance GPU clusters.

The companies will work to align system configurations, production schedules and data center deployment requirements, while exploring cooperation in joint engineering, system validation and lifecycle technical support. These efforts are intended to improve deployment efficiency and operational readiness as AI computing environments grow in scale and complexity.

“AI customers need more than access to GPUs. They need computing environments that can deliver consistent performance for demanding workloads,” said William Tiah, Co-Founder of ARC Cloud. “Working with Compal allows us to bring system engineering and infrastructure planning closer together, helping us build and operate reliable GPU clusters as demand for AI computing continues to grow.”

About Compal

Founded in 1984, Compal is a leading global manufacturer of computers and smart devices and a Forbes Global 2000 company, partnering with top-tier brands worldwide. The company has expanded into cloud servers, automotive electronics, smart medical and healthcare, and advanced communication solutions. Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, Compal operates globally across the U.S., Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Mexico, Brazil, and Poland. Website: https://www.compal.com

About ARC Cloud

ARC Cloud (Accelerated Research Computing) is a U.S.-based, full-stack NeoCloud company specializing in the investment, development and operation of large-scale AI computing infrastructure. With end-to-end capabilities spanning data center development, GPU cluster design and deployment, infrastructure orchestration and operations, and cloud-based AI services, ARC Cloud provides dedicated GPU compute, managed infrastructure, model deployment and production inference for AI developers, enterprises and cloud service providers. Website: https://arccloudai.com

Forward-Looking Statements

The MOU establishes a framework for cooperation and does not constitute a binding investment or purchase commitment. The potential 100 MW data center development roadmap referenced in this announcement is exploratory and does not represent a confirmed project, capacity commitment, purchase commitment or revenue forecast. Specific projects, capacity, commercial terms and timelines remain subject to further agreements and applicable conditions. Actual outcomes may differ from current expectations.

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SOURCE Compal Electronics, Inc.

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