Month: September 2026

New White paper examines how ultra-long-duration betavoltaic power could enable a new generation of maintenance-minimized wireless sensors across utilities, infrastructure, defense, agriculture, industrial monitoring and remote environments

MESQUITE, Nev., Sept. 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MESQUITE, Nev., September 29, 2026 — Nuclear Diamond Batteries, Inc. (OTCID: NDBI) (“NDBI” or the “Company”), a developer of nuclear diamond battery technologies through its majority-owned subsidiary AtomiQ, Inc. (“AtomiQ”), today announced publication of The Perpetual Sensor: Nuclear Diamond Batteries for LoRaWAN and the Next Generation of Long-Life IoT, a technology, applications and commercialization white paper examining the potential intersection of betavoltaic micropower and LoRaWAN® wireless connectivity.

The white paper explores how long-duration, low-output nuclear power sources could potentially address one of the persistent challenges in the Internet of Things: powering sensors deployed in locations where conventional battery replacement is difficult, costly, dangerous or impractical.

The publication follows a major milestone for the LoRaWAN ecosystem. On September 22, 2026, the LoRa Alliance® reported that the number of LoRaWAN-connected devices worldwide had reached 150 million, growing at approximately 25% CAGR. The Alliance also reported more than 695 certified devices, nearly 1,000 products available through its marketplace, and more than 340 member organizations.

A Different Power Architecture for Long-Life Sensors

Betavoltaic power sources differ fundamentally from conventional electrochemical batteries.

Rather than storing a finite quantity of chemical energy, a betavoltaic device converts energy released through radioactive decay into a continuous electrical output. Depending on isotope selection, device architecture and operating requirements, such systems have the potential to provide low levels of continuous power over extended periods.

Because many wireless transmitters require brief power levels substantially above their average consumption, the white paper examines a hybrid architecture in which a nuclear micropower source continuously charges an energy-storage component — such as a low-leakage capacitor, supercapacitor or other storage element — which can then supply the short-duration power pulse required for sensing and wireless transmission.

The paper identifies LoRaWAN Class A devices as a particularly relevant architecture because these devices can spend substantial periods in low-power states between sensing and transmission events.

“We are not trying to replace conventional batteries everywhere,” said Greg Rubin, CEO of AtomiQ, Inc.,subsidiary of NDBI.  “We are focused on applications where replacing a battery can become more expensive, difficult or mission-critical than the sensor itself — buried infrastructure, pipelines, bridges, mines, remote environmental stations, defense installations and other hard-to-access assets.”

Rubin continued: “The concept is straightforward: continuously generate a small amount of energy, accumulate it, and periodically use that stored energy to sense, process and transmit data. LoRaWAN is particularly interesting because it was designed around low-power, long-range communications and already has a very large global ecosystem.”

White Paper Highlights

The white paper examines:

• 19 potential application sectors. These include utility infrastructure, pipeline and oil-and-gas monitoring, structural health monitoring, unattended defense sensors, environmental science, agriculture, mining, remote industrial monitoring, satellite-connected IoT and high-value asset monitoring.

• Application-specific energy requirements. The analysis illustrates why the sensor itself — not necessarily the radio — may become the dominant energy consumer in certain deployments.

• Energy accumulation architecture. The paper examines the use of betavoltaic generation combined with an intermediate energy-storage component to support intermittent higher-power sensing and LoRaWAN transmission events.

• Reporting-frequency analysis. Illustrative energy budgets demonstrate how transmission intervals could vary depending on continuous source output, sensor consumption, environmental conditions and stored-energy requirements.

• Direct-to-satellite connectivity. The paper examines the emerging combination of LoRaWAN-compatible terrestrial and satellite connectivity for sensors deployed beyond conventional network coverage.

• Potential high-value markets. The analysis prioritizes applications where battery replacement costs, access restrictions, worker safety, equipment downtime or mission requirements may justify a premium long-duration power source.

• Development roadmap. The proposed roadmap progresses from laboratory energy-budget validation and a bench-scale demonstrator to an environmental beacon, field pilots, ruggedized modules, satellite-capable configurations and application-specific products.

The paper also contains 12 figures and infographics illustrating device-class suitability, energy architecture, application prioritization, development stages and potential market positioning.

A 150-Million-Device Ecosystem

NDBI believes the significance of the opportunity is not simply the projected growth of IoT, but the increasing number of connected devices being placed into locations where ongoing maintenance can become a significant lifecycle expense.

The LoRa Alliance reported in September 2026 that LoRaWAN now connects more than 150 million devices globally, including utility infrastructure, industrial sensors, agricultural applications, tracked assets and safety devices.

Individual deployments cited by the Alliance illustrate the scale already being reached: ZENNER Connect reported more than 11.6 million sensors; Netmore reported 11.2 million active devices; The Things Industries reported approximately 6 million connected devices; and Veolia reported more than 4 million active smart meters in France.

These deployments demonstrate an established global ecosystem into which new power architectures could potentially be integrated.

Market Context

Third-party market research indicates substantial projected growth in LoRaWAN and continued development of the nuclear-battery sector.

Global Market Insights estimates that the global LoRaWAN market was approximately $3.7 billion in 2024 and projects it could reach approximately $75.8 billion by 2034, representing a 41.1% compound annual growth rate over the forecast period.

Separately, Mordor Intelligence estimates the LoRa and LoRaWAN IoT connectivity market at approximately $10.71 billion in 2025, potentially reaching $44.76 billion by 2030, representing a 33.1% CAGR.

The estimates differ because the research firms use different definitions, market boundaries and methodologies.

For nuclear batteries, Mordor Intelligence forecasts the betavoltaic segment of the broader nuclear-battery market to expand at approximately 15.8% CAGR through 2030.

Another third-party estimate published by Valuates Reports valued the global betavoltaic battery market at approximately $3.4 million in 2023 and projected approximately $11.4 million by 2030, representing an estimated 18.7% CAGR.

These market estimates are independent third-party forecasts and should not be interpreted as projections of NDBI revenue, market share or future financial performance.

Building Toward the “Perpetual Sensor”

The white paper introduces what NDBI calls the “Perpetual Sensor” architecture: a wireless sensing platform designed around continuous micropower generation, energy accumulation, ultra-low-power electronics and intermittent communications.

The term “perpetual” describes the design objective of dramatically extending unattended operating life and reducing or potentially eliminating routine battery replacement during the useful life of certain sensor deployments. It does not mean that any physical device operates indefinitely.

NDBI believes the most compelling early applications are likely to be those where the economic cost of servicing the power source is disproportionately high relative to the electronics being powered.

Examples may include buried or embedded sensors, inaccessible infrastructure, hazardous industrial environments, defense and national-security applications, remote environmental stations and other installations where conventional battery servicing requires personnel, vehicles, excavation, shutdowns or specialized equipment.

Intellectual Property Platform

NDBI’s nuclear-battery technology portfolio is held and managed through AtomiQ and includes intellectual property covering nuclear-voltaic power generation, advanced electrode structures and carbon nanomaterials.

The portfolio includes U.S. Patent No. 12,394,534 B2, “Nuclear Voltaic Power-Source,” covering a diamond-based nuclear-voltaic architecture designed to convert energy from radioisotope decay into electrical power.

In addition, the USPTO has issued Notices of Allowance for applications covering a high-porosity metal-organic framework electrode incorporating carbon nano-onion structures and methods for the synthesis and functionalization of carbon nano-onions.

Additional patent applications relating to nuclear-battery technologies and associated materials and architectures remain pending.

From White Paper to Demonstration

NDBI emphasizes that the white paper describes a proposed engineering and commercialization pathway rather than a commercially available product.

The Company has not yet built, certified or commercialized a nuclear-powered LoRaWAN sensor.

A principal objective of the proposed development program is therefore to convert the paper’s theoretical energy-budget analysis into measured experimental data.

Initial development milestones contemplated in the white paper include characterization of continuous source output, energy-storage efficiency, sensor consumption, transmission energy requirements and achievable reporting intervals.

Successful laboratory validation could then support development of an integrated prototype and subsequent field testing.

“Our next objective is measurement,” Rubin said. “The important milestone will not be another projection. It will be demonstrating a complete energy balance — how much power is continuously generated, how efficiently it can be stored, how much energy the sensor and radio consume, and how frequently the system can reliably transmit.”

Availability

The Perpetual Sensor: Nuclear Diamond Batteries for LoRaWAN and the Next Generation of Long-Life IoT is available through the Nuclear Diamond Batteries website.

request the NDBI white paper and learn more about the Company -please email to  info@nucleardiamondbatteriesinc.com or https://nucleardiamondbatteriesinc.com/contact/

About Nuclear Diamond Batteries, Inc.

Nuclear Diamond Batteries, Inc. (OTCID: NDBI), through its  subsidiary AtomiQ, Inc., is developing nuclear diamond battery and advanced-energy technologies designed to convert energy from radioisotope decay into long-duration electrical power.

The Company is pursuing potential applications across defense, aerospace, medical, industrial, remote sensing and Internet-of-Things markets where long operating life and reduced maintenance may provide meaningful advantages.

NDBI remains a development-stage company and has not commenced commercial production of nuclear diamond batteries. Development, possession, processing, manufacturing and distribution of products involving radioactive materials may be subject to licensing, regulatory approvals and other requirements of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, applicable Agreement States and other governmental authorities.

NDBI’s common stock is quoted on OTC Markets

Follow us on X.com: https://x.com/NDBI_stock

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements concerning potential applications of the Company’s technology, product concepts, technical performance objectives, development milestones, intellectual-property strategy, regulatory pathways, commercialization plans, potential markets and future business opportunities.

Forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as “believe,” “expect,” “may,” “could,” “potential,” “intend,” “plan,” “target,” “project,” “seek,” “would,” “should” and similar expressions.

These statements are based on current expectations, assumptions and management judgments and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied.

Such risks include, among others, technical-development risk; the ability to achieve required power output, conversion efficiency and energy-storage performance; availability and cost of suitable radioisotopes; regulatory requirements applicable to radioactive materials and nuclear-powered devices; manufacturing and supply-chain risks; financing requirements; intellectual-property risks; market acceptance; competition; and risks associated with securities quoted on OTC Markets.

NDBI has not yet built, tested, certified or commercialized a nuclear-powered LoRaWAN product. The architectures, energy budgets, reporting intervals, applications and development pathways discussed in the white paper are conceptual or illustrative unless specifically identified as measured experimental results and should not be interpreted as guarantees of future technical or commercial performance.

References to LoRaWAN, the LoRa Alliance and other third-party organizations, technologies, research or market data do not imply endorsement of NDBI or its technology. LoRaWAN® is a registered trademark used by the LoRa Alliance.

Third-party market estimates vary significantly according to methodology, definitions and assumptions. NDBI has not independently verified such forecasts, and they should not be interpreted as estimates of NDBI’s future revenues, market share or financial results.

Readers should review the Company’s disclosures available through OTC Markets and should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. This press release is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to purchase any security.

The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update forward-looking statements except as required by applicable law.

Investor & Media Contact

Nuclear Diamond Batteries, Inc.
Info@nucleardiamondbatteriesinc.com
Nuclear Diamond Batteries, Inc.

30 September 2026

Hargreave Hale AIM VCT PLC
(“the “Company”)

Notifications of transactions by Persons Discharging Managerial Responsibilities

This notification is made in accordance with the requirements of Article 19 of the UK Market Abuse Regulation. The Notification of Dealing Form is below.

1	Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities (“PDMR”) / person closely associated (“PCA”)
a)	Name	Justin Ward
2	Reason for the notification
a)	Position/status	PDMR Non-Executive Director
b)	Initial notification /Amendment	Initial notification
3	Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
a)	Name	Hargreave Hale AIM VCT Plc
b)	LEI	213800LRYA19A69SIT31
4	Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted
a)	Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument   Identification code	Ordinary Shares   ISIN: GB00B02WHS05
b)	Nature of the transaction	Allotment of Ordinary Shares under the Dividend Reinvestment Scheme
c)	Price(s) and volume(s)	Price(s)	Volume(s)
		£0.3150p	1,461
d)	Aggregated information   – Aggregated volume   – Price	1,461 Ordinary Shares in aggregate   £460.21
e)	Date of the transaction	30 September 2026
f)	Place of the transaction	London Stock Exchange

1	Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities (“PDMR”) / person closely associated (“PCA”)
a)	Name	Elizabeth Ward
2	Reason for the notification
a)	Position/status	PCA of Justin Ward, Non-Executive Director
b)	Initial notification /Amendment	Initial notification
3	Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
a)	Name	Hargreave Hale AIM VCT Plc
b)	LEI	213800LRYA19A69SIT31
4	Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted
a)	Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument   Identification code	Ordinary Shares   ISIN: GB00B02WHS05
b)	Nature of the transaction	Allotment of Ordinary Shares under the Dividend Reinvestment Scheme
c)	Price(s) and volume(s)	Price(s)	Volume(s)
		£0.3150p	569
d)	Aggregated information   – Aggregated volume   – Price	569 Ordinary Shares in aggregate   £179.23
e)	Date of the transaction	30 September 2026
f)	Place of the transaction	London Stock Exchange

END

For further information, please contact:

Canaccord Genuity Asset Management Limited Abbe Martineau

aimvct@canaccord.com +44 207 523 4525

LEI: 213800LRYA19A69SIT31

30 September 2026

HARGREAVE HALE AIM VCT PLC
(the “Company”)

Allotment of Shares under DRIS

The Company has today allotted 990,800 Ordinary Shares pursuant to its Dividend Reinvestment Scheme (“DRIS”) to Shareholders of the Company who elected to receive Ordinary Shares instead of the special dividend of 0.75 pence per Ordinary Share, paid today.

The price at which the 990,800 Ordinary Shares were allotted was 31.50 pence per Ordinary Share, which was calculated, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the DRIS, on the basis of the last published ex-dividend net asset value per Ordinary Share in the Company as at the close of business on 16 September 2026. The DRIS issue price was announced on 17 September 2026.

Application for the new shares to be admitted to the Official List of the Financial Conduct Authority and to trading on London Stock Exchange plc’s main market for listed securities has been made and dealings are expected to commence on or around 7 October 2026.

As a Person Discharging Managerial Responsibility (“PDMR”), the following director of the Company, and his Persons Closely Associated, (“PCA”) were allotted shares at a price of 31.50 pence:

Name	No. of Shares allotted	Holding following Allotment	Percentage of Issued Share Capital held
Justin WARD (PDMR)	1,461	62,786	0.02%
Elizabeth WARD (PCA)	569	24,481

Further information regarding the DRIS offered in respect of the Dividends can be found in the DRIS Mandate (the “DRIS Mandate“) available on the Company’s website to view and/or download at https://www.hargreaveaimvcts.co.uk/document-library/. The DRIS Mandate is also available on the National Storage Mechanism website at https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism.

As a result of the issue, the total number of Ordinary Shares in issue will be 375,295,536 with each Ordinary Share carrying one vote each. The Company does not hold any Ordinary Shares in Treasury. Therefore, the total voting rights in the Company will be 375,295,536. This figure may be used by shareholders in the Company as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the share capital of the Company under the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.

END

For further information, please contact:

Canaccord Genuity Asset Management Limited Abbe Martineau

aimvct@canaccord.com +44 207 523 4525

LEI: 213800LRYA19A69SIT31        

• In the Phase 3 open-label extension clinical trial (OLE), patients with moderate to severe acne received denifanstat for up to 52 weeks, including prior placebo patients
• Denifanstat showed progressive and sustained improvements across all efficacy endpoints in the OLE, including Investigator’s Global Assessment (IGA) success with a response rate of 57%, 72% reduction in total lesions, and 77% reduction in inflammatory lesions, and was generally well-tolerated, with no adverse event-related permanent discontinuations
• Patient screening for AURORA U.S. Phase 3 clinical trial expected to begin in October 2026
• Sagimet to host a KOL event and webcast September 30, 2026 at 1 PM ET

FOSTER CITY, Calif., Sept. 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sagimet Biosciences Inc. (Nasdaq: SGMT), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics targeting dysfunctional metabolic and fibrotic pathways, today announced positive 52-week results from the Phase 3 ASC40-304 OLE clinical trial of denifanstat in patients with moderate to severe acne vulgaris, conducted by license partner Ascletis BioScience Co. Ltd. (Ascletis) in China. The results were presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Congress (EADV) in Vienna by Ascletis. Denifanstat is a once-daily oral small molecule fatty acid synthase (FASN) inhibitor being developed by Ascletis as ASC40 in China where it holds an exclusive license to denifanstat, and by Sagimet in the rest of the world.

The Phase 3 OLE clinical trial, ASC40-304, evaluated the long-term safety of denifanstat in patients with moderate to severe acne vulgaris who were previously enrolled in the 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 ASC40-303 clinical trial, conducted in China by Ascletis. 240 patients rolled over into the OLE trial, for a total trial duration of up to 52 weeks. 116 of those patients had received denifanstat, and 124 patients had received placebo in the original 12-week double-blind ASC40-303 trial. Primary endpoints evaluated safety, and secondary endpoints evaluated efficacy, including reduction in IGA from baseline and reduction in total lesion count and inflammatory lesion count from baseline.

Phase 3 Open-Label Extension Results

The baseline characteristics of the OLE cohorts were consistent with the overall study population, as shown below:

Baseline Characteristics of ASC40-304 OLE Cohorts at ASC40-303 Baseline

Baseline Characteristics	ASC40-304 Denifanstat/Denifanstat (n=116)	ASC40-304 Placebo/Denifanstat (n=124)	ASC40-303 Total (n=480)
Age, years, mean (SD)	22.5 (4.1)	22.3 (3.3)	22.6 (3.8)
Male, n (%)	31 (26.7)	47 (37.9)	150 (31.3)
Female, n (%)	85 (73.3)	77 (62.1)	330 (68.8)
IGA=3 (moderate), n (%)	101 (87.1)	106 (85.5)	412 (85.8)
IGA=4 (severe), n (%)	15 (12.9)	18 (14.5)	68 (14.2)
Total lesion count, mean (SD)	102.8 (25.3)	103.2 (24.4)	102.1 (24.8)
Inflammatory lesion count, mean (SD)	42.0 (12.2)	43.5 (11.8)	42.6 (11.9)
Non-Inflammatory lesion count, mean (SD)	60.8 (19.3)	59.7 (20.9)	59.5 (19.9)

Treatment success was defined as at least a 2-point reduction from baseline in Investigator’s Global Assessment (IGA) score with a score of 0 (clear) or 1 (almost clear). At the end of the trial, treatment success rates and mean percentage changes, compared to the ASC40-303 baseline, were:

Efficacy Endpoints	Denifanstat 12wk / Denifanstat 40wk (n=116)	Placebo 12wk / Denifanstat 40wk (n=124)	Total (n=240)
Treatment success rate	57.8%	55.6%	56.7%
Mean % change in total lesion count	-73.0%	-70.7%	-71.8%
Mean % change in inflammatory lesion count	-78.1%	-75.8%	-76.9%
Mean % change in non-inflammatory lesion count	-68.3%	-65.5%	-66.9%

Note: Total skin lesion counts and inflammatory skin lesion counts reduced by approximately 75% and 80%, respectively, compared to ASC40-303 baseline for patients who completed the OLE trial.

Denifanstat was generally well-tolerated in the OLE with patients receiving up to 52 weeks of exposure, with no permanent discontinuations of study drug due to adverse events and no drug-related serious adverse events among patients treated with denifanstat. Only two categories of treatment-related adverse events had an incidence of more than 5% over the 52-week period: dry skin in 7.1% and dry eye in 5.9%.

“The positive results presented today at EADV reinforce our confidence in denifanstat as we prepare to begin patient screening for our U.S. AURORA Phase 3 clinical trial in October, with first patient enrollment expected shortly thereafter,” said David Happel, Chief Executive Officer of Sagimet. “Annually approximately ten million people in the U.S. live with moderate to severe acne. Denifanstat, if approved, could offer a convenient, once-daily oral medication for this underserved patient population, and would be the first oral treatment with a novel mechanism of action approved for acne in more than forty years.”

“The open-label extension trial provides important data to support our AURORA Phase 3 program,” said Andreas Grauer, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Sagimet. “It is particularly encouraging that patients continued to improve with longer treatment, and denifanstat remained generally well-tolerated through the open-label extension trial, with exposure to denifanstat up to 52 weeks. Notably, patients who crossed over from placebo achieved treatment success rates similar to those treated with denifanstat from the start. Together, these results provide meaningful long-term experience with the 50 mg denifanstat dose we are taking forward in AURORA.”

Virtual Key Opinion Leader Conference Call Information

Sagimet Biosciences will host a virtual KOL event with Julie Harper, MD, Founding Director and past President of the American Acne and Rosacea Society on September 30, 2026 at 1 PM ET.

Dr. Harper will join company management for a review of the 52-week data from license partner Ascletis’ Phase 3 open-label extension clinical trial of denifanstat in moderate to severe acne vulgaris in China and an update on the company’s planned U.S. Phase 3 AURORA clinical trial of denifanstat for the treatment of moderate to severe acne. Live webcast available: LINK

About the Ascletis Phase 3 Clinical Trial and Open-Label Extension

ASC40-303 (NCT06192264) was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 12-week Phase 3 clinical trial of denifanstat in 480 patients with moderate to severe acne vulgaris, conducted in China by Ascletis. Patients were randomized 1:1 to denifanstat 50 mg or placebo once daily. Denifanstat met all primary and secondary endpoints and was generally well-tolerated.

ASC40-304 (NCT06248008) was a multi-center, open-label Phase 3 extension evaluating the long-term safety of denifanstat in patients with moderate to severe acne vulgaris who were previously enrolled in the double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled 12-week Phase 3 ASC40-303 trial. This open-label Phase 3 trial enrolled 240 subjects that received oral denifanstat 50 mg once daily for up to 40 weeks. Subjects who were originally randomized to denifanstat in ASC40-303 trial had a total of up to 52 weeks of denifanstat exposure. Primary endpoints evaluated safety, and secondary endpoints evaluated efficacy, including reduction in IGA from baseline and reduction in total lesion count and inflammatory lesion count from baseline for up to 52 weeks of denifanstat treatment. Denifanstat was generally well-tolerated. Subjects treated with denifanstat showed improvements in all efficacy endpoints (secondary endpoints of the trial) beyond those observed at 12 weeks. 

About the AURORA Phase 3 Clinical Trial

The AURORA multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 clinical trial of denifanstat in moderate to severe acne is intended to enroll approximately 800 U.S. patients aged 12 years and older, of which 450 are expected to be adolescents aged 12 to 17 years. Patients will be randomized 2:1 to receive denifanstat 50 mg or placebo once daily for 12 weeks. The trial will have three co-primary endpoints that will be assessed at week 12: the proportion of patients achieving treatment success in a global assessment score, defined as at least a 2-point reduction from baseline with a score of 0 (clear) or 1 (almost clear); absolute change in inflammatory skin lesion counts from baseline; and absolute change in non-inflammatory skin lesion counts from baseline. A subset of approximately 530 patients completing the double-blind period will be eligible to enter a 40-week open-label extension evaluating the long-term safety of denifanstat.

About Denifanstat

Denifanstat is an oral, once-daily FASN inhibitor in development for the treatment of moderate to severe acne. In trials conducted by Sagimet’s license partner, Ascletis BioScience Co. Ltd. (Ascletis) in China, denifanstat met all primary and secondary endpoints in a 12 week randomized, double-blind Phase 3 clinical trial in moderate to severe acne vulgaris and was generally well-tolerated and showed improvements in all efficacy endpoints measured at 52 weeks (secondary endpoints of the trial) in an open-label extension clinical trial evaluating denifanstat’s long-term safety in patients with moderate to severe acne. Denifanstat is being developed by Ascletis as ASC40 for acne in China and by Sagimet in the rest of world.

About Acne

Acne is one of the most common skin conditions in the U.S., with approximately 50 million Americans affected annually and more than 5 million seeking medical treatment for acne each year. Acne affects around 85% of persons between the ages of 12 and 24. Moderate to severe acne accounts for 20% of acne sufferers, or approximately 10 million people in the U.S. annually. There is no cure for acne, and due to its pathology, most patients require chronic management and multiple annual courses of treatment for flare control.

About Sagimet Biosciences

Sagimet is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel FASN inhibitors designed to target dysfunctional metabolic and fibrotic pathways in conditions resulting from the overproduction of the fatty acid, palmitate. FASN is a regulator of lipid synthesis, a key pathway implicated in multiple diseases, such as acne, MASH and certain FASN-dependent tumor types. For additional information about Sagimet, please visit www.sagimet.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of, and made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of, The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this press release, other than statements of historical facts or statements that relate to present facts or current conditions, including but not limited to, statements regarding the expected timing of the presentation of data from ongoing clinical trials, Sagimet’s clinical development plans and related timelines and anticipated development milestones, are forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause Sagimet’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. In some cases, these statements can be identified by terms such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “aim,” “seek,” “anticipate,” “could,” “intend,” “target,” “project,” “contemplate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “forecast,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. The forward-looking statements in this press release are only predictions. Sagimet has based these forward-looking statements largely on its current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that Sagimet believes may affect its business, financial condition and results of operations. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified and some of which are beyond Sagimet’s control, including, among others: the clinical development and therapeutic potential of denifanstat, TVB-3567 or any other drug candidates or combination therapies developed by Sagimet; Sagimet’s ability to advance drug candidates into and successfully complete clinical trials within anticipated timelines; Sagimet’s relationship with Ascletis, and the success of its development and registration efforts for denifanstat; the accuracy of Sagimet’s estimates regarding its capital requirements and Sagimet’s ability to maintain and successfully enforce adequate intellectual property protection. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully in the “Risk Factors” section of Sagimet’s most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available at www.sec.gov. You should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The events and circumstances reflected in these forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur, and actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Moreover, Sagimet operates in a dynamic industry and economy. New risk factors and uncertainties may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all risk factors and uncertainties that Sagimet may face. Except as required by applicable law, Sagimet does not plan to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein, whether as a result of any new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise.

Investor Contact:
Joyce Allaire 
LifeSci Advisors 
JAllaire@LifeSciAdvisors.com

Media Contact:
Maggie Whitney
LifeSci Communications
mwhitney@lifescicomms.com

Multiple scheduled demonstrations across North America, Europe and Asia will showcase VARAN unmanned ground vehicles, drone technologies and integrated autonomous systems to prospective defense customers

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Sept. 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — VisionWave Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: VWAV) (“VisionWave” or the “Company”), a defense technology and advanced autonomous systems company, today announced an expanded international demonstration and customer-evaluation program for its autonomous ground, aerial and sensing technologies.

Over the coming months, VisionWave is scheduled to conduct multiple demonstrations and technical evaluations across North America, Europe and Asia, involving the Company’s VARAN unmanned ground vehicle, unmanned aerial systems, drone technologies, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (“ISR”), sensing technologies and integrated air-ground capabilities.

The demonstrations are being organized for prospective defense and security customers, strategic defense partners and systems integrators and are intended to allow participants to evaluate VisionWave technologies against specific operational requirements and mission profiles.

The program represents an important next phase in VisionWave’s strategy of moving its autonomous defense technologies from development into direct customer evaluation.

Putting VisionWave Technology in Front of Defense Customers

VisionWave’s demonstration program is designed around direct, hands-on evaluation of its technologies.

Rather than limiting customer engagement to presentations and technical discussions, the Company is working to place its systems in operational demonstration environments where prospective customers and partners can evaluate mobility, sensing, autonomous capabilities, payload integration and potential mission configurations.

The current program includes demonstrations of VARAN unmanned ground vehicles, drone technologies and combined ground-and-aerial capabilities, with different demonstrations structured around the requirements and areas of interest of the participating organizations.

Several demonstrations are scheduled during the fourth quarter of 2026, creating a concentrated period of international customer engagement across VisionWave’s autonomous systems portfolio.

“This is about putting our technology in the field and in front of the organizations that evaluate and deploy defense systems,” said Douglas Davis, Chief Executive Officer of VisionWave. “We now have a meaningful schedule of demonstrations and customer evaluations across several international markets. These are opportunities for prospective customers to see the technology operate, evaluate it against their requirements and engage directly with our technical and business-development teams.”

“Our objective is to move from demonstration to evaluation, from evaluation to a customer-defined configuration and, if a customer elects to proceed, toward procurement. There is no assurance that any demonstration will lead to an order.”

VARAN at the Center of the Demonstration Program

A significant portion of VisionWave’s upcoming demonstration activity will feature VARAN, the Company’s heavy wheeled unmanned ground vehicle under development as part of the STRATUM family of autonomous ground systems. VARAN has not completed qualification testing and is not in production.

VARAN is being developed around a modular, payload-agnostic architecture intended to support multiple defense and security applications from a common autonomous ground platform.

Potential configurations include ISR, autonomous logistics and resupply, radar and RF sensing, remote weapon stations, drone launch and recovery, communications and sensor payloads, counter-UAS and force-protection applications and other customer-specific mission systems.

The modular architecture is intended to allow VisionWave to demonstrate the same core platform to different prospective customers while configuring sensors, payloads and mission systems around their individual operational requirements.

VisionWave is also advancing unmanned aerial systems and drone-related technologies, including demonstrations involving aerial systems independently and in combination with autonomous ground technologies.

Building on VisionWave’s First STRATUM Conditional Purchase Order

The scheduled demonstrations follow the Company’s announcement of its receipt of a conditional purchase order from Metal Machinery Components Trading FZCO, a trading intermediary, for the STRATUM platform, covering 200 VARAN unmanned ground vehicles with an aggregate base purchase price of $20 million.

As previously disclosed, the purchase order is subject to conditions precedent.

VisionWave views the purchase order as one component of a broader commercialization effort now underway across its autonomous defense technology portfolio. The Company’s immediate commercial focus extends beyond any single transaction and includes expanding the number of prospective customers directly evaluating VisionWave technologies.

Modular System Architecture

VisionWave’s autonomous systems strategy is to combine unmanned ground vehicles, unmanned aerial systems, ISR, RF sensing and mission intelligence.

The Company is developing its technologies around a modular approach intended to enable ground vehicles, aerial systems, sensors and mission payloads to operate independently or as components of integrated autonomous systems.

Additional Demonstration Activity

VisionWave expects its demonstration and evaluation activities to continue across multiple international markets as the Company seeks to develop its global business-development pipeline.

The currently planned activities span North America, Europe and Asia and include prospective government, military and defense-industry participants.

The Company believes the breadth of these engagements provides an opportunity not only to demonstrate individual technologies, but also to obtain direct operational feedback that can inform product development, customer-specific configurations and future commercial opportunities.

Demonstrations and evaluations do not constitute purchase orders or commitments and may not result in commercial orders. Any future procurement would depend on customer decisions and applicable procurement, export, regulatory and other requirements.

About VisionWave Holdings, Inc.

VisionWave Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: VWAV) is a defense and advanced sensing technology company developing AI-driven, RF-based sensing, autonomy, and computational acceleration technologies for defense, homeland security, and commercial infrastructure applications. VisionWave’s mission is to connect defense innovation with civilian progress through shared core technologies intended for use across air, land and fixed-site environments. The Company’s website is https://www.vwav.inc. Information contained on, or accessible through, the Company’s website is not incorporated by reference into, and does not form a part of, this press release or any filing of the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The platforms, payloads, sensing technologies and software described in this press release, including the STRATUM family and the VARAN unmanned ground vehicle, are in development, have not completed testing or qualification, are not commercially available and have not generated material revenue.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include all statements other than statements of historical fact, including statements regarding the satisfaction of the conditions precedent to the VARAN purchase order; the timing and outcome of the demonstration contemplated for October or November 2026 under the purchase order; the number, timing, scope and outcome of the other demonstrations and evaluations described in this press release; the negotiation of a technical annex and any resulting price adjustment; production planning and delivery; the Company’s other demonstration and evaluation activities and whether any of them will result in an order; the development, qualification and capabilities of the STRATUM, VARAN, RANGER, SCOUT and RECON platforms and the Company’s unmanned aerial and ISR technologies; and the Company’s strategy and objectives. Words such as “scheduled,” “intends,” “expects,” “contemplates,” “believes,” “designed to,” “intended to,” “potential,” “may,” “will,” “objective” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements.

These statements are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied, including: the Customer’s ability to deliver proof of funds and a bank guarantee acceptable to the Company and to make the advance and milestone payments; the receipt of export licenses and end-user approvals in each relevant jurisdiction and the results of the Company’s sanctions, anti-money-laundering and end-user review, including with respect to end users located in or near conflict zones; the Company’s approval, or withdrawal of approval, of any end user; the results of the demonstration and the effect of end-user requirements, localization, tariffs and component costs on the base configuration and unit price; the Company’s ability to establish manufacturing capacity and to complete qualification testing of the VARAN platform; the Company’s dependence on a single conditional order from a trading intermediary; the fact that the Company’s other demonstration and evaluation activities are not the subject of any contract or commitment and may not result in orders; the lengthy and uncertain nature of defense procurement processes and the discretion of prospective customers; the possibility that scheduled demonstrations are postponed or cancelled or that the Company’s systems fail to perform as intended during a demonstration; the Company’s ability to obtain any export licenses required to transport and demonstrate its systems outside the United States; the Company’s limited operating history, history of losses and need for additional financing, which may be dilutive to stockholders; and the other risks described under “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, [2025] and in its subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Contacts

investors@vwav.inc