Award strengthens NANO Nuclear's growing relationship with the Department of the Air Force and expands the Company's pathway toward future defense deployment opportunities.

New York, New York - Newsfile Corp. - July 27, 2026 - NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) ("NANO Nuclear" or "the Company"), today announced it has been selected by AFWERX for a SBIR Phase I contract focused on NANO Nuclear's KRONOS MMR™ Energy System to address the most pressing challenges in the DAF. The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution. The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded and now on July 21, 2026, NANO Nuclear Energy will start its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America. James Walker, Chief Executive Officer of NANO Nuclear Energy, said: "This award represents another meaningful step in the continued advancement of NANO Nuclear's defense commercialization strategy. We now have multiple active engagements with the Department of the Air Force that demonstrate increasing confidence in our technology and technical capabilities. We believe these programs create valuable opportunities to showcase the KRONOS MMR™, while establishing relationships that may support future deployment opportunities across additional Air Force installations and the broader Department of War." Jay Yu, Founder and Chairman of NANO Nuclear Energy, added: "Energy resilience has become a strategic priority across the U.S. military, and advanced microreactors have the potential to fundamentally change how critical installations are powered. This award is significant not only because it expands our opportunity with the Air Force, but because it represents continued commercial validation of our technology roadmap. As we continue executing on each of our Air Force programs, we believe NANO Nuclear is positioning itself as an emerging participant in what could become one of the most important long-term markets for advanced microreactor deployment." The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of War, or the U.S. government. About NANO Nuclear Energy, Inc. NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) is a North American advanced technology-driven nuclear energy company seeking to become a commercially focused, diversified, and vertically integrated company across five business lines: (i) cutting edge portable and other microreactor technologies, (ii) nuclear fuel supply chain, (iii) nuclear fuel transportation, (iv) nuclear applications for space and (v) nuclear industry consulting services. Led by a world-class nuclear engineering team, NANO Nuclear's reactor products in development include the proprietary KRONOS MMR™ Energy System, a stationary high-temperature gas-cooled reactor that is in construction permit pre-application engagement U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in collaboration with University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, "ZEUS", a portable solid core battery reactor, and the space focused, portable LOKI MMR™, each representing advanced developments in clean energy solutions that are portable, on-demand capable, advanced nuclear microreactors. Advanced Fuel Transportation Inc. (AFT), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, bolstered by the May 2026 acquisition of Secured Transportation Services (STS), is led by former executives from the largest transportation company in the world and provides nuclear engineering and materials transport services in the U.S. and globally. Through NANO Nuclear, AFT is the exclusive licensee of a patented high-capacity HALEU fuel transportation basket developed by three major U.S. national nuclear laboratories and funded by the Department of Energy. HALEU Energy Fuel Inc. (HEF), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is focusing on the future development of a domestic source for a High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) fuel fabrication pipeline for NANO Nuclear's own microreactors as well as the broader advanced nuclear reactor industry. NANO Nuclear Space Inc. (NNS), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is exploring the potential commercial applications of NANO Nuclear's developing micronuclear reactor technology in space. NNS is focusing on applications such as the LOKI MMR™ system and other power systems for extraterrestrial projects and human sustaining environments, and potentially propulsion technology for long...