Samsung SDI has made an equity investment in FINO, the Korean subsidiary of CNGR. The investment was carried out through participation in a third-party allotment capital increase. FINO announced on the 27th that it will issue new shares worth KRW 70 billion via a third-party allocation, totaling 14,294,467 common shares at an issue price of KRW 4,897 per share.

[SMM Newsflash] According to the announcement of Wuxi Yoshioka Precision Technology Co., Ltd., to implement the company’s international development strategy and accelerate its expansion into markets outside China, the company, together with its wholly owned subsidiary Yoshioka Seiki Co., Ltd., increased capital in its wholly owned subsidiary YOSHIOKA SEIKI (THAILAND) CO., LTD. to build a Thailand production site, with a view to developing the Southeast Asian market and responding to order demand from clients outside China.

[SMM Flash News] According to reports, recently, Hailing District, Taizhou City, Jiangsu Province held a mobilization, deployment, and work advancement meeting for the “Year of Project Breakthrough.” The meeting was conducted in stages, with the first stage being project groundbreakings, and the Suzhong Aluminum high-end engine block manufacturing project officially commenced construction. The project is a capital increase and capacity expansion initiative by a local enterprise, invested in and developed by Jiangsu Suzhong Aluminum Co., Ltd. It is expected to use 80 mu of land and will deploy multiple high- and low-pressure aluminum die-casting and machining production lines, mainly producing high-end aluminum parts for special-purpose vehicles and NEVs.

On February 3, 2026, Fulin Precision Industrial Co., Ltd. announced that relevant proposals were reviewed and approved at the 31st meeting of the company’s fifth board of directors held on February 2. The company and Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) will jointly conduct a capital increase and share expansion for the controlling subsidiary, Jiangxi Shenghua New Materials Co., Ltd. According to the plan, Fulin Precision intends to convert its 500 million yuan debt in Jiangxi Shenghua into additional capital, subscribing to an increased registered capital of 406.504065 million yuan. CATL will increase capital by 747.141913 million yuan in cash, subscribing to an increased registered capital of 607.432450 million yuan.

On January 29, 2026, the power battery enterprise Times Changan Power Battery Co., Ltd., jointly established by CATL, Deepal Auto, and Changan Automobile, completed its industrial and commercial registration changes, with its registered capital significantly increasing from 1.5 billion yuan to 4 billion yuan, a surge of 167%. Following this capital increase, the investment amounts of the three major shareholders were adjusted accordingly: CATL, as the controlling shareholder, increased its investment to 2.04 billion yuan, maintaining a 51% stake; Deepal Auto invested 1.2 billion yuan, holding a 30% stake; and Changan Automobile invested 760 million yuan, holding a 19% stake.

[Two Major South Korean Battery Giants to Deploy LFP Battery Capacity in the US] Recently, Samsung SDI and General Motors agreed to introduce an LFP battery production line for EVs at their joint venture plant in Indiana by 2027. Originally, the plant was only planned to produce ternary lithium batteries with a nickel content exceeding 80%, but now it will produce both types. Previously, Samsung SDI announced that it would raise 2 trillion won (approximately 9.96 billion yuan) through the issuance of new shares to invest in factories and new technologies in the US and Europe. The company will issue 11.821 million common shares at a price of 169,200 won per share. Samsung SDI plans to use the proceeds from the capital increase to invest in its joint venture with General Motors in the US, expand the capacity of its battery plant in Hungary, Europe, and invest in its solid-state battery production line facilities in South Korea.

①Lopal Technology's overseas factory secured a "major order" worth 5 billion, with the client, Eve Energy, being an overseas subsidiary of EVE, a top-tier battery enterprise. ②In fact, Lopal Technology has recently been frequently increasing investment and introducing investors in its Indonesian factory.

[Jiyao Tongxing, a battery company under Geely Group: Expected to achieve a battery capacity of 70 GWh by 2027] Zheng Xin, Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of Geely Holding Group, as well as CEO of Jiyao Tongxing, stated that Jiyao Tongxing will achieve a battery capacity of 70 GWh by 2027, with eight production sites in Tonglu, Quzhou, Jianhu, Ganzhou, Shangrao, Yingtan, Ningguo, and Zaozhuang. In terms of business model, Jiyao Tongxing will strive to explore vehicle-battery separation and battery swapping models, and establish a battery bank. Note from Xiaocai: Zhejiang Jiyao Tongxing Energy Technology Co., Ltd. ("Jiyao Tongxing" for short) is the main entity for Geely Holding Group's battery business. (Cailian Press) [Zhang Jinhua of China SAE: Strengthen OTA Upgrade Management and Clarify Corporate Safety Responsibilities] Zhang Jinhua, President of the China Society of Automotive Engineers (China SAE), pointed out in an article that with the accelerated integration of electrification, intelligence, and connectivity in the automotive industry, significant changes have occurred in the form of automotive products, and automotive software online upgrades (OTA upgrades) have been gradually widely applied in intelligent connected vehicle products. On the one hand, OTA upgrades can rapidly iterate product functions, optimize product performance, enhance user experience, and reshape product development models, becoming an important means for automotive producers to provide value-added services to consumers and enhance product competitiveness. On the other hand, unlike ordinary electronic consumer goods, automotive OTA upgrades, if lacking necessary supervision, may pose safety risks to vehicle operation and even endanger public safety. Zhang Jinhua stated that strengthening the management of automotive OTA upgrades and clarifying corporate safety responsibilities will provide important support for safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of consumers and social public safety. (Cailian Press) [Li Auto: The refreshed car models will return to a monthly sales level of 50,000 units, and sedan products will be launched based on market demand] The management of Li Auto stated during the Q1 earnings call that after the launch of the refreshed Li Auto car models, weekly sales have exceeded 10,000 units. As of May, the market share in the market segment above 200,000 yuan is 14.7%. Li Auto is confident that the refreshed car models will soon return to a monthly sales level of 50,000 units. After Li Auto's extended-range and pure electric SUVs, as well as the Li Auto MEGA, support an annual revenue of 300 billion yuan, MPV and sedan products will be launched based on market demand to meet the needs of the domestic market as well as important overseas markets. (Cailian Press) [CATL Signs Strategic Cooperation Framework Agreement with Lanzhou for Zero-Carbon City] On May 29, CATL and the Lanzhou Municipal People's Government officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement. The two sides will deepen cooperation in three major areas: the construction of the aftermarket for new energy batteries, the electrification upgrade of comprehensive transportation, and the establishment of a zero-carbon city ecosystem. The two parties will also establish a zero-carbon urban ecosystem, integrating PV, ESS, and intelligent management technologies to create zero-carbon parks and build industries such as virtual power plants. They will construct city-level integrated demonstration stations for "PV, ESS, charging/swapping, and inspection". They will explore policies for the recycling of end-of-life batteries, jointly establish a battery recycling system and collaborative processing bases, and form a closed-loop value chain covering the entire life cycle. (Science and Technology Innovation Board Daily) [Zhonglun New Materials: BOPA film for solid-state batteries is in the early market promotion stage] Zhonglun New Materials stated on an interactive platform that the company's lithium battery film products, as the core substrate for pouch lithium battery aluminum-plastic films, have taken the lead in achieving localisation substitution and stable mass production. They have successfully entered the supply chain systems of domestic mainstream aluminum-plastic film producers such as Zijiang New Materials, PTL, and Crown. Recently, the company's R&D on BOPA film for solid-state batteries has achieved key breakthroughs. This product can be applied in the solid-state battery field through aluminum-plastic films and is currently in the early market promotion stage. (Finance News) [Lopal: Plans to increase capital investment by RMB370 million in its holding subsidiary Changzhou Liyuan] Lopal (603906.SH) announced that the company plans to use 80% of the funds raised from issuing H shares to increase capital investment in its holding subsidiary Changzhou Liyuan, with the amount equivalent to RMB369.7056 million. Of this, RMB55.5129 million will be credited to the registered capital, and the remaining RMB314.1927 million will be credited to the capital reserve. After the capital increase is completed, Changzhou Liyuan's registered capital will increase to RMB834.1276 million, and it will remain a holding subsidiary of the company. Changzhou Liyuan plans to use the increased capital to invest an additional $14 million in its holding grand subsidiary LBM NEW ENERGY (AP) PTE. LTD. This capital increase constitutes a related-party transaction and still needs to be submitted to the shareholders' meeting for approval. (Finance News) Related readings: [SMM Analysis] REPT Battero and Hyosung Heavy Industries reach a 2.5GWh ESS strategic cooperation [SMM Weekly Review] The lithium carbonate market remains weak, with supply-demand imbalance and weakening costs leading to continued price declines [SMM Analysis] Domestic lithium carbonate imports in April 2025 released April battery material import and export data released: Both spodumene and lithium carbonate imports increased, with the latter's exports surging! [SMM Special Report] Cobalt product quotes collectively decline, with refined cobalt falling by RMB6,200 and cobalt smelters' willingness to sell increasing [Weekly Observation] Spot price of refined cobalt falls [SMM Weekly Review of Refined Cobalt Market] [SMM Weekly Review] Lithium carbonate prices continue to decline, with the short-term market still under pressure [SMM Analysis] Can titanium-doped iron phosphate be the perfect upgrade for the high-end development path? [SMM Analysis] China's lithium hydroxide exports reached 4,222 mt in April, basically flat MoM [SMM Analysis] China's imports of cobalt intermediate products increased slightly in April [SMM Analysis] Both China's unwrought cobalt exports and imports surged in April 2025 [SMM Analysis] China's total spodumene imports amounted to 623,000 mt in April, up 16.5% MoM [SMM Analysis] Both China's artificial graphite imports and exports increased MoM in April [SMM Data] LiPF6 import and export data for April 2025 [SMM Analysis] Analysis of ternary cathode precursor exports in April [SMM Analysis] Ternary cathode import and export volumes for April released, with imports up 37% MoM and exports up 13% MoM [SMM Announcement] Adjustments to weekly lithium carbonate data points before and after the Labour Day holiday Driven by multiple positive factors! The auto parts sector surged with over 12 stocks hitting daily limits! [Hot Stocks] Refined cobalt prices slightly recovered, while Co3O4 prices continued to decline. The market awaits the aftermath of the DRC's June ban. [Weekly Observations] [SMM Industry Insights] Global cobalt industry chain changes and Chinese market outlook following the DRC's cobalt export ban - Key points from the special speech by Wang Cong, General Manager of SMM Industry Research Tariff suspension spurs lithium carbonate futures to rise over 3%. Can the expectation of a rush in exports help lithium carbonate "stand up"? [SMM Flash News] Retail sales growth of passenger vehicles in April hit a new decade-high, with auto production and sales exceeding 10 million units in the first four months! [SMM Special Report]

[70 million yuan investment in lithium battery recycling] On May 17, Tianqi Automation Engineering Co., Ltd. issued an announcement regarding the capital increase and share expansion of its wholly-owned subsidiary and the introduction of investors. Due to operational and developmental needs, Jiangxi Miracle Golden Tiger Cobalt Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tianqi Automation Engineering Co., Ltd., plans to introduce Qingdao Huatie Xinneng Venture Capital Fund Partnership Enterprise as an investor through capital increase and share expansion. Qingdao Huatie Fund intends to subscribe to a 2.8% stake in Jiangxi Miracle Golden Tiger Cobalt for a consideration of 70 million yuan, with 3.6008 million yuan to be credited to the newly increased registered capital and the remaining 66.399176 million yuan to be credited to the capital reserve.

[Lei Jun Invests in Solid-State Batteries After SU7 High-Speed Deflagration] Recently, Xiaomi suddenly acquired shares in a solid-state battery enterprise, Hefei Yinshi New Material Technology Co., Ltd. The company added Hansing Venture Capital Co., Ltd. (affiliated with Xiaomi), Qiangbang New Materials, and Hefei Baohe District Science and Technology Innovation Seed Fund Partnership Enterprise (Limited Partnership) as shareholders. Its registered capital increased from RMB 1 million to approximately RMB 1.1167 million. According to the information, Hefei Yinshi New Material Technology Co., Ltd. was established in December 2024, with a business scope that includes the manufacture and sale of electronic special materials, R&D of electronic special materials, the sale of high-purity elements and compounds, and the R&D of new materials. The company had just completed the transformation of a technological achievement named "An Oxygen-Doped Sulphide Solid Electrolyte and Its Preparation Method" in early May.