LEADING EDGE MATERIALS’ FILES CPR FOR BIHOR SUD POLYMETALLIC EXPLORATION PROJECT, ROMANIA

• 2025 exploration campaign identified significant areas of mineralisation underground in Valea Leucii, Dibarz and Avram Iancu, with wider exploration potential across the licence.
• Underground development mapping and sampling data reveal extensive mineralisation.
• Potential exists for mineralisation between Valea Leucii, Dibarz, and Avram Iancu to be connected, giving a mineralised zone extending approximately 6 kilometres north–south and a similar distance east–west.
  
  

Vancouver, March 18, 2026 – Leading Edge Materials Corp. (“Leading Edge Materials” or the “Company”) (TSXV: LEM) (Nasdaq First North: LEMSE) (OTCQB: LEMIF) (FRA: 7FL) is pleased to announce that the Competent Person’s Report (“CPR”) for the Bihor Sud Polymetallic Exploration Project (“Bihor Sud”) in Romania has been filed on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (“SEDAR”).

Addison Mining Services Ltd (“AMS”, “the consultant”) was commissioned to prepare a CPR and independent assessment of Bihor Sud.

The reporting and interpretation of exploration data undertaken as part of the study have been prepared in accordance with The Canadian Institute of Mining (“CIM”) Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves (“CIM Definition Standards”) and reported in accordance with the National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”).

In accordance with NI 43-101 and CIM Definition Standards, Bihor Sud represents an early-stage exploration project, prospective for replacement-type, stratiform/stratabound, with U–Ni–Cu-Co–Pb-Zn-Bi–Ag–As mineralisation.

The CPR includes a data review of the main target commodities of copper, lead and nickel (and accessory cobalt and zinc) (and cursory observations on the project’s uranium potential) data support, rationale and validity of target definition.

The CPR is based on desktop study and the QP’s site visit in September 2025.

Bihor Sud - 2025 Exploration Campaign

On February 2, 2026, the Company published a detailed update of last year’s exploration results:

https://www.leadingedgematerials.com/_files/ugd/f9767f_c867a14699ff47ab809892c926feaabb.pdf

• Mapping and sampling data reveal extensive mineralisation, notably in the form uranium oxide associated with jasperoid silicification; polymetallic (copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn)) sulphides hosted in silica–carbonate rocks (including uranium occurrences); and crystalline carbonate (limestone) exhibiting disseminated and stockwork-style sulphide mineralisation. Supergene enrichment phases, such as erythrite and annabergite, further characterise the mineralogical diversity of the licence area. 
• Notably, massive sulphide mineralisation is present at the Valea Leucii, Dibarz, and Avram Iancu prospects, with a possibility that these occurrences are interconnected, forming part of a broader mineral system. Moreover, historical prospecting rock chip data reported evidence of widespread and pervasive uranium, base and precious metal mineralisation with anomalous grades of up to 28% Ni, > 6% Co, > 3 ppm gold (Au), with one sample returning 17.75 ppm Au, and for uranium.  
• The Bihor Sud licence possesses a diverse and lengthy mining history, and despite considerable historical extraction, the potential for a profitable, modern mining operation likely remains, with significant areas of mineralisation observed underground in Valea Leucii, Dibarz and Avram Iancu, and potential across the wider exploration licence.  
  
  

Kurt Budge CEO comments: 

“Filing the CPR for Bihor Sud marks a meaningful milestone — one that quantifies the progress we've made and sharpens our focus on unlocking the potential we believe exists in the Avram Iancu former mining area.

With safe access to the underground galleries now confirmed, we are finalising a targeted exploration workplan for our geology team.

Across Bihor Sud, our strategy centres on identifying thicker, continuous mineralised lodes and high-priority feeder structures capable of hosting significant resources — a thesis well-supported by comparable deposits in the region, including Cavnic, Suior and Rosia Montana.

The CPR completion is designed to serve a clear purpose: providing the credible foundation needed to attract new investment directly into the project."

Qualified Person’s Statement and Technical Sign off

The technical information in this announcement, which relates to the LEM Bihor Sud Project, Romania, is based upon and fairly represents technical information and data reviewed by independent consultant Mr. Lewis Harvey, MSc, MAIG, Principal Geologist for Addison Mining Services.

Mr. Harvey has affiliation to a professional organisation, sufficient experience relevant to the style of mineralisation, the type of deposit under consideration and the activity undertaken to qualify as a Qualified Person as defined by Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”).
for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves.

The technical information in this announcement is also in accordance with The CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves (“CIM Definition Standards”) and reported in accordance with the National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”).

Mr. Harvey has reviewed and verified the technical information that forms the basis of and has been used in the preparation of this announcement, including all sampling and analytical data, and analytical techniques where applicable.

Mr. Harvey consents to and has approved the inclusion in this announcement of the matters based on the information in the form and context in which it appears.
___________________________________________________________________________________.

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).

About Addison Mining Services (“AMS”)

Established in 2014, Addison Mining Services Limited is a geological and mining consultancy providing high-quality consulting and contractor services to the global minerals industry.  AMS expertise spans a wide range of mineral projects including base and precious metals, industrial minerals and energy resources.

AMS specialises in mineral resource and reserve estimation, exploration program design and implementation, procedural audits and best practice operating procedure development, Competent Person’s studies and reporting to JORC2012 and NI 43-101 standards.

Additional Information

The information was submitted for publication through the agency of the contact person set out above, on March 18, 2026, at 00:30 AM (Vancouver, Canada).

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.