UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31,2025
☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from to
Commission file number:001-41183
Evolution Metals & Technologies Corp.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
(formerly Welsbach Technology Metals Acquisition Corp.)
| Delaware | 87-1006702 |
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| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
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| 4040 NE 2nd Ave, Ste 348 Miami, Florida | 33137 |
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| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) |
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Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:(561) 225 3205
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered |
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| Common stock, $0.0001 par value per share | EMAT | The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC |
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Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐No ☒
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act. Yes ☐No ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer, “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Large accelerated filer | ☐ | Accelerated filer | ☐ |
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| Non-accelerated filer | ☒ | Smaller reporting company | ☒ |
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| Emerging growth company | ☒ | |
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If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.☐
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements.☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to § 240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No☒
As of September 30, 2025, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed third fiscal quarter, the aggregate market value of the registrant’s public shares, other than shares held by persons who may be deemed affiliates of the registrant was approximately $7,054,212.
As of February 20, 2026, there were 593,349,852 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the registrant issued and outstanding.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE:
None
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Page |
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| PART I | 1 | |
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| Item 1. | Business | 1 |
| Item 1A. | Risk Factors | 17 |
| Item 1B. | Unresolved Staff Comments | 47 |
| Item 1C. | Cybersecurity | 47 |
| Item 2. | Properties | 48 |
| Item 3. | Legal Proceedings | 48 |
| Item 4. | Mine Safety Disclosures | 48 |
| PART II | 49 | |
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| Item 5. | Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters, and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities | 49 |
| Item 6. | Reserved | 50 |
| Item 7. | Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations | 50 |
| Item 7A. | Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk | 59 |
| Item 8. | Financial Statements and Supplementary Data | 59 |
| Item 9. | Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure | 59 |
| Item 9A. | Controls and Procedures | 59 |
| Item 9B. | Other Information | 60 |
| Item 9C. | Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections | 60 |
| PART III | 61 | |
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| Item 10. | Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance | 61 |
| Item 11. | Executive Compensation | 68 |
| Item 12. | Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters | 78 |
| Item 13. | Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence | 81 |
| Item 14. | Principal Accountant Fees and Services | 87 |
| PART IV | | 88 | |
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| Item 15. | Exhibit and Financial Statement Schedules | 88 |
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EXPLANATORY NOTE
Evolution Metals & Technologies Corp. (the “Company”) (formerly known as Welsbach Technology Metals Acquisition Corp. (“WTMA”)) was a blank check company incorporated in the State of Delaware for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. WTMA consummated its initial public offering in 2021, and its securities were listed on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”).
On November 6, 2024, WTMA entered into an Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger (as amended from time to time, the “Merger Agreement”) by and among WTMA, WTMA Merger Subsidiary LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly owned subsidiary of WTMA (“Merger Sub”), and Evolution Metals LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“EM”), pursuant to which Merger Sub would merge with and into EM, with EM surviving the merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of WTMA (the “Merger”), subject to the terms and conditions set forth therein. The Merger Agreement was approved by the stockholders of WTMA at a special meeting held on September 2, 2025.
On January 5, 2026 (the “Closing Date”), WTMA consummated the Merger pursuant to the Merger Agreement, and the transactions contemplated thereby (collectively, the “Business Combination”). At the Closing, Merger Sub merged with and into EM, with EM continuing as the surviving entity and becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of WTMA. In connection with the Closing, WTMA changed its name to Evolution Metals & Technologies Corp.
As part of the Business Combination and prior to the consummation of the Merger, EM completed the acquisition of (i) Handa Lab Co., Ltd., (ii) KCM Industry Co., Ltd., (iii) KMMI INC., and (iv) NS World Co., Ltd., each a corporation organized under the laws of the Republic of Korea (collectively, the “Korean Companies”).
As a result of the Business Combination, the Company is a holding company, and substantially all of its operations are conducted through EM and its subsidiaries, including the Korean Companies.
The Business Combination closed subsequent to December 31, 2025 and is therefore treated as a subsequent event for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, the historical financial information included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (this “Annual Report”), including the audited financial statements and related notes, reflects solely the historical financial position, results of operations and cash flows of WTMA for the year ended December 31, 2025, and does not include the accounts or results of operations of EM or the Korean Companies.
The Company expects to account for the Business Combination as a reverse recapitalization in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), with EM treated as the accounting acquirer. The consolidated financial statements of the combined company, reflecting EM as the predecessor entity, will be presented in the Company’s future periodic reports commencing with the period that includes the Closing Date.
Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, references to the “Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our” refer to WTMA prior to the Closing and to Evolution Metals & Technologies Corp. and its subsidiaries following the Closing.
The financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K as well as the Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations section relate to the pre-Business Combination WTMA other than where expressly provided therein. The remaining sections of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, other than where expressly provided therein, relate to the post-Business Combination company, Evolution Metals & Technologies Corp. and its subsidiaries.
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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements that reflect our current expectations and views of future events, all of which are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements give our current expectations or forecasts of future events. All statements, other than statements that relate strictly to present or historical fact included in this Annual Report, such as statements regarding our future financial performance, strategy, operations, financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs, prospects, plans, and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. You can find many (but not all) of these statements by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “would,” and other similar expressions in this Annual Report. You must carefully consider any such statements and should understand that many factors could cause actual results to differ from our forward-looking statements. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed, and actual future results may vary materially.
As a result of various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, our actual results or performance may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These include, among other factors:
| ● | risks relating to the integration of operations following the Business Combination; |
| ● | global demand for rare earth and battery materials and the ability to source sufficient volumes of spent lithium-ion batteries from third parties; |
| ● | the impact of government policy and trade restrictions; |
| ● | delays in achieving full-scale commercial operations at our planned recycling and processing facilities; |
| ● | challenges in implementing smart factory automation or scaling manufacturing capacity; |
| ● | the inability to establish or maintain supply relationships for critical feedstock materials and the availability and cost of feedstock and raw materials; |
| ● | changes in government policies, tariffs, or incentive programs affecting critical materials; |
| ● | fluctuations in commodity prices and global demand for rare earth and battery materials; |
| ● | our ability to raise capital and execute its growth strategy in a cost-effective manner; |
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| ● | expectations regarding our strategies and future financial performance, including future business plans, expansion and acquisition plans or objectives, prospective performance and opportunities and competitors, revenues, products and services, pricing, operating expenses, product and service acceptance, market trends, liquidity, cash flows and uses of cash, capital expenditures, and our ability to invest in growth initiatives; |
| ● | our ability to attract and retain talented personnel; |
| ● | our ability to compete with companies that have significantly more resources; |
| ● | our ability to meet certain certification and compliance standards; |
| ● | our ability to protect its intellectual property rights and ability to protect itself against potential intellectual property infringement claims; |
| ● | the potential characterization of us as an investment company subject to the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”); and |
| ● | the ability to maintain our listing on Nasdaq. |
We describe certain material risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that could affect our business, including our financial condition and results of operations, under “Risk Factors.” We base our forward-looking statements on our management’s beliefs and assumptions based on information available to our management at the time the statements are made. We caution you that actual outcomes and results may, and are likely to, differ materially from what is expressed, implied, or forecast by our forward-looking statements. Accordingly, potential investors should be careful about relying on any forward-looking statements. Except as required under the federal securities laws, we do not have any intention or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements after the distribution of this Annual Report whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, or otherwise.
The forward-looking statements contained in this Report are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. Future developments affecting us may not be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
Unless otherwise stated in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, or the context otherwise requires, references to:
| ● | “ASC 450” are to ASC Topic 450 “Contingencies”; |
| ● | “ASC 470” are to ASC Topic 480 “Debt with Conversion or Other Options”; |
| ● | “ASC 480” are to ASC Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity”; |
| ● | “ASC 740” are to ASC Topic 740 “Income Taxes”; |
| ● | “ASC 815-40” are to ASC Topic 815-40 “Derivatives and Hedging”; |
| ● | “ASC” are to the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Accounting Standards Codification; |
| ● | “board of directors” or “board” are to the board of directors of the Company; |
| ● | “black mass” are to the intermediate material produced from the mechanical or chemical processing of end-of-life lithium-ion batteries or battery manufacturing scrap that contain valuable battery metals such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese, which can be further refined into battery-grade materials such as carbonates, sulfates, and precursor cathode active materials (pCAM). |
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| ● | “Business Combination” are to the Merger collectively with the other agreements and transactions in connection with the Merger Agreement; |
| ● | “Certifying Officers” to our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer; |
| ● | “Closing” are to the closing of the Business Combination; |
| ● | “Code” are to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended; |
| ● | “common stock” are to shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share; |
| ● | “Continental” are to Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company; |
| ● | “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to WTMA prior to the Closing and to Evolution Metals & Technologies Corp. and its subsidiaries following the Closing; |
| ● | “DGCL” are to the Delaware General Corporation Law, as amended; |
| ● | “DWAC System” are to the Depository Trust Company’s Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian System; |
| ● | “Eighth Promissory Note” are to the promissory note issued by the Company on August 30, 2023 in the principal amount of $125,000 to the Sponsor in connection with the Extension and together with the First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Promissory Note, the “Promissory Notes”; |
| ● | “EM” are to Evolution Metals LLC, a Delaware limited liability company; |
| ● | “EM Convertible Preferred Units” are to convertible preferred units of EM, in the aggregate amount of $42,280,000; |
| ● | “EM Equityholder” are to David Wilcox or his trust, as the sole owner of the voting EM Member Units; |
| ● | “EM Equityholder Support and Lock-up Agreement” are to that certain Support and Lock-up Agreement, dated November 6, 2024, as amended, entered into by and among WTMA, EM and the EM Equityholder; |
| ● | “EM Holders” are to the EM Unitholders; |
| ● | “EM Member Units” are to the limited liability company common member interests of EM; |
| ● | “EM Unitholders” are to the holders of the EM Member Units and the EM Convertible Preferred Units, collectively; |
| ● | “EM&T” are to WTMA immediately following the consummation of the Business Combination and its name change to Evolution Metals & Technologies Corp; |
| ● | “EM&T Common Stock” are to common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of EM&T; |
| ● | “EM&T Equity Incentive Plan” are to the Evolution Metals & Technologies Corp. 2025 Equity Incentive Plan; |
| ● | “Exchange Act” are to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; |
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| ● | “Fifth Promissory Note” are to the promissory note issued by the Company on May 30, 2023 in the principal amount of $125,000 to the Sponsor in connection with the Extension and together with the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Promissory Note, the “Promissory Notes”; |
| ● | “First Promissory Note” are to the promissory note issued by the Company on September 30, 2022 in the principal amount of $772,769 to the Sponsor in connection with the Extension; |
| ● | “Fourth Promissory Note” are to the promissory note issued by the Company on April 30, 2023 in the principal amount of $125,000 to the Sponsor in connection with the Extension and together with the First, Second, and Third Promissory Note, the “Promissory Notes”. |
| ● | “Founder Shares” are to the 1,931,922 outstanding shares of WTMA’s Common Stock held or controlled by the Sponsor prior to the initial public offering; |
| ● | “GAAP” are to the accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America; |
| ● | “Handa Lab” are to Handa Lab Co., Ltd., a Korean company; |
| ● | “HSR Act” are to the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended; |
| ● | “IASB” are to the International Accounting Standards Board; |
| ● | “IFRS” are to the International Financial Reporting Standards, as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board; |
| ● | “initial public offering” or “IPO” are to the initial public offering that was consummated on December 30, 2021; |
| ● | “initial stockholders” are to holders of Founder Shares prior to the consummation of the initial public offering and their respective permitted transferees; |
| ● | “IPO registration statement” are to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (333-261467) filed by WTMA in connection with its initial public offering, which became effective on December 27, 2021; |
| ● | “IRS” are to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service; |
| ● | “insiders” are to our officers, directors, sponsor and any other holder of our founder shares; |
| ● | “Investment Company Act” are to the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended; |
| ● | “JOBS Act” are to the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, as amended; |
| ● | “KCM” are to KCM Industry Co., Ltd., a Korean company; |
| ● | “KMMI” are to KMMI INC., a Korean company; |
| ● | “Korean Companies” or a “Korean Company” are to each of Handa Lab, KCM, KMMI and NS World; |
| ● | “Lock-Up Period” are to a period ending on the third anniversary of the Closing as specified in the Sponsor Support and Lock-up Agreement and the EM Equityholder Support and Lock-up Agreement, subject to customary early release provisions; |
| ● | “management” or our “management team” are to our officers and directors; |
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| ● | “Merger” are to the merger of Merger Sub with and into EM, with EM surviving the merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of WTMA on the terms and conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement; |
| ● | “Merger Agreement” are to the Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of November 6, 2024, as amended by the Amendment No. 1 to Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of November 11, 2024, as amended by Amendment No. 2 to Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of February 10, 2025, as amended by Amendment No. 3 to Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of March 31, 2025, as amended by the Amendment No. 4 to Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of June 11, 2025, and as amended by the Amendment No. 5 to Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of July 21, 2025, and as amended by the Amendment No. 6 to Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of January 5, 2026, by and among WTMA, Merger Sub and EM, attached hereto as Annex A, as it may be further amended or supplemented from time to time; |
| ● | “Milestones” are to any one or more of the milestone events to be met for any of the RSUs to vest or for any of the Options to vest and become exercisable as provided for in the Merger Agreement or any other applicable agreement governing such milestone events; |
| ● | “Nasdaq” are to the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC; |
| ● | “NS World” are to NS World Co., Ltd., a Korean company; |
| ● | “Operating Companies” are to the Korean Companies; |
| ● | “PCAOB” are to the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States); |
| ● | “Person” are to any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, exempted limited partnership, limited liability company, exempted company, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, joint stock company, governmental authority or instrumentality or other entity of any kind; |
| ● | “Private Placement Units” or “private placement units” are to the Units that were sold in private placements simultaneously with the closing of the IPO; |
| ● | “private placement” are to a private placement of our units consummated in connection with our initial public offering; |
| ● | “private units” are to the WTMA Units that were issued and sold to the Sponsor in private placements conducted in connection with the initial public offering; |
| ● | “public shares” are to shares of common stock which were sold as part of the units in our initial public offering (whether they were purchased in our initial public offering or thereafter in the open market) and references to “public stockholders” are to the holders of our public shares, including our insiders to the extent our insiders purchase public shares, provided that their status as “public stockholders” exists only with respect to such public shares; |
| ● | “Redemption Rights” are to the rights of the public stockholders to demand redemption of their public stock for cash; |
| ● | “Registration Rights Agreement” are to the amended and restated registration rights agreement entered into at Closing, by and among WTMA, the Sponsor, certain current and former holders of WTMA Common Stock and certain affiliates of EM&T; |
| ● | “Sarbanes-Oxley Act” are to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended; |
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| ● | “Second Promissory Note” are to the promissory note issued by the Company on December 30, 2022 in the principal amount of $772,769 to the Sponsor in connection with the Extension and together with the First Promissory Note, the “Promissory Notes”; |
| ● | “SEC” are to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; |
| ● | “Securities Act” are to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended; |
| ● | “September Extensions” are to the extended time period of an additional six months from September 30, 2023 to June 30, 2024 for the Company to complete a business combination under its amended and restated certificate of incorporation; |
| ● | “Seventh Promissory Note” are to the promissory note issued by the Company on July 30, 2023 in the principal amount of $125,000 to the Sponsor in connection with the Extension and together with the First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Promissory Note, the “Promissory Notes”; |
| ● | “Sixth Promissory Note” are to the promissory note issued by the Company on June 30, 2023 in the principal amount of $125,000 to the Sponsor in connection with the Extension and together with the First, Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Promissory Note, the “Promissory Notes”; |
| ● | “Sponsor Persons” are to Daniel Mamadou, Christopher Clower, John Stanfield, Dr. Ralph Welpe, Emily King, Matthew Mrozinski and Sergey Marchenko; |
| ● | “sponsor” are to Welsbach Acquisition Holdings LLC; |
| ● | “Sponsors” or “sponsors” are to the Sponsor and the persons set forth in the Sponsor Support and Lock-up Agreement; |
| ● | “Subject Stockholder Shares” are to any shares of Company common stock owned by Company Stockholders immediately after the Closing; |
| ● | “Subject Sponsor Shares” are to any shares of Company common stock owned by one of the Sponsors immediately after the Closing; |
| ● | “Third Promissory Note” are to the promissory note issued by the Company on March 30, 2023 in the principal amount of $125,000 to the Sponsor in connection with the Extension and together with the First and Second Promissory Note, the “Promissory Notes”; |
| ● | “Treasury” are to the U.S. Department of the Treasury; |
| ● | “trust account” are to the trust account established at the consummation of WTMA’s initial public offering maintained by Continental, acting as trustee; |
| ● | “UHY” are to UHY LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm; |
| ● | “Underwriting Agreement” are to that certain underwriting agreement, dated December 27, 2021, by and between the Company and Chardan Capital Markets, LLC, as representative of the several underwriters; |
| ● | “units” are to the units sold in our initial public offering, which consist of one public share and one public right; |
| ● | “Working Capital Loans” are to loans to the Company funds by certain of the Company’s officers and directors in order to finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination. |
| ● | “WTMA” are to Welsbach Technology Metals Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation; |
| ● | “WTMA Common Stock” are to the common stock of WTMA, par value $0.0001 per share; |
| ● | “WTMA Rights” are to the rights to acquire one-tenth of one share of WTMA Common Stock (including those that underlie the WTMA Units) that were offered and sold by WTMA in its initial public offering and registered pursuant to the IPO registration statement; and |
| ● | “WTMA Units” and “units” refer to the units of WTMA, with each unit representing one share of WTMA Common Stock and one WTMA Right to one-tenth of one share of WTMA Common Stock. |
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