SWEDISH GOVERNMENT HOLDS DECISION ON NORRA KÄRR EXPLOITATION CONCESSION; DIRECTORS EXERCISE OPTIONS INJECTING NEW CAPITAL; INVESTOR RELATIONS ENGAGEMENT

• Every government agency in the permitting process to date has either endorsed the Norra Kärr Exploitation Concession (Sw. bearbetningskoncession) application or recommended its approval; the final decision now rests with the Swedish Government.
• Directors exercise options injecting CAD $788,000 into the Company.
• Boofel Enterprises Ltd engaged to provide investor relations and communications consultancy services.
  
  

Vancouver, April 19, 2026 – Leading Edge Materials Corp. (“Leading Edge Materials” or the “Company”) (TSXV: LEM) (Nasdaq First North: LEMSE) (OTCQB: LEMIF) (FRA: 7FL) provides a status update on the Company’s 100% owned Swedish subsidiary Greenna Mineral AB’s (“GMAB”) application for an Exploitation Concession for Norra Kärr. The Company has been in formal communication with the Government ministry responsible for handling the application. The Swedish Mining Inspectorate (Sw. Bergsstaten) has recommended approval of its Exploitation Concession (Sw. bearbetningskoncession) application for Norra Kärr. This follows the endorsements provided by both the Jönköping and Östergötland County Administrative Boards ("CABs") in December of last year.

The Company also announces that the Directors of Leading Edge Materials have recently exercised options to acquire shares in the Company, contributing approximately CAD $788,000 in new capital. The option exercises increase the Directors’ shareholding in the Company and align with the Company’s continued advancement of the Norra Kärr project.

Finally, the Company is pleased to announce that it has engaged Boofel Enterprises Ltd. (“Boofel”) to provide investor relations and communications consultancy services to support the Company’s development, market credibility, communications strategy, investor engagement and capital markets positioning.

In consideration for the services, the Company will pay Boofel £3,600 per calendar month (approximately CAD $6,700) for an initial fixed term of six months. During the contractual period, either party may terminate the agreement by giving one month’s written notice. Boofel and the Company are arm’s length parties and have no other agreement other than the investor relations consultancy agreement.

Kurt Budge CEO comments:         

"We have opened formal communications with the Government ministry overseeing our application; it is encouraging to note that every government agency involved in the permitting process to date has recommended approval of our application for an Exploitation Concession for Norra Kärr.

An Exploitation Concession would represent a transformative milestone for the Company, giving both investors and customers the confidence they need to move forward alongside us. The security it provides over the Norra Kärr deposit will enable us to accelerate our technical, environmental and social studies, and to advance through the remaining permitting stages toward eventual construction and production of critically important heavy rare earth elements.  

Looking towards this future, the Directors of Leading Edge Materials have exercised options in recent weeks, injecting CAD $788,000 into the Company.”

___________________________________________________________________________________.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,
Leading Edge Materials Corp.

Kurt Budge, CEO

For further information, please contact the Company at:
info@leadingedgematerials.com
www.leadingedgematerials.com

Corporate Head Office (Vancouver, Canada): 778-686-5357

About Leading Edge Materials

Leading Edge Materials is a Canadian public company focused on developing a portfolio of critical raw material projects located in the European Union. Critical raw materials are determined as such by the European Union based on their economic importance and supply risk. They are directly linked to high growth technologies such as lithium-ion batteries and permanent magnets for electric motors, wind turbines and defence applications. The Company’s portfolio of projects includes the 100% owned Woxna Graphite mine (Sweden), 100% owned Norra Kärr Heavy Rare Earth Elements project (Sweden), and the 51% owned Bihor Sud Nickel Cobalt exploration alliance (Romania).

Additional Information

The information was submitted for publication through the agency of the contact person set out above, on April 19, 2026, at 23:30 PM Vancouver time.

Leading Edge Materials is listed on the TSXV under the symbol “LEM”, OTCQB under the symbol “LEMIF” and Nasdaq First North Stockholm under the symbol “LEMSE”. Svensk Kapitalmarknadsgranskning (“SKMG”) is the Company’s Certified Adviser for the Nasdaq First North Growth Market (Stockholm) and may be contacted via email ca@skmg.se or by phone +46 (0)8 913 008.

Reader Advisory

This news release may contain statements which constitute “forward-looking information”, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company, its directors, or its officers with respect to the future business activities of the Company. The words “may”, “would”, “could”, “will”, “intend”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect” and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future business activities and involve risks and uncertainties, and that the Company’s future business activities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, fluctuations in market prices, changes in the Company’s intended use of proceeds from the Private Placement, successes of the operations of the Company, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such information will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. The Company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking information except as required under the applicable securities laws.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.