Vancouver, British Columbia — January 15, 2026 — Leads & Copy — Hillcrest Energy Technologies is providing an update to shareholders on strategic developments and commercialization milestones expected in 2026.
According to Don Currie, CEO of Hillcrest Energy Technologies, the company is at a pivotal moment where years of technology development are leading to commercial opportunities across multiple sectors. Currie stated that the collaboration with Pasqua First Nation and Apeiron Resources, along with the completed financing, provides the resources and market access to accelerate commercialization of the ZVS technology across Canada while advancing opportunities in automotive and data center sectors globally.
In October 2025, Hillcrest announced a collaboration with Pasqua First Nation (“PFN”) and Apeiron Resources Ltd. (“Apeiron”) to establish an Indigenous-majority owned entity. This entity will focus on commercializing Hillcrest’s Zero Voltage Switching (“ZVS”) power conversion technology throughout Canada. The structure contemplates creating a framework to market, distribute, sell, and potentially manufacture ZVS products across energy storage systems, AI data centers, remote microgrids, and critical infrastructure applications.
PFN’s $3 million investment in Hillcrest demonstrates confidence in the technology and business model. The collaboration is pursuing additional operating capital through government grants and qualified investment entities, aiming for non-dilutive funding to support commercialization in the Canadian market.
Last week, Hillcrest closed the final tranche of its private placement, raising approximately $4.4 million and settling approximately $2.8 million in debt. The financing strengthens the Company’s balance sheet to support further development of ZVS technology, marketing and investor relation activities, retirement of existing accounts payable, and general working capital.
Throughout 2025, Hillcrest completed validation testing with automotive OEMs and Tier One suppliers, demonstrating performance advantages in automotive applications. These validations have led to commercial conversations with global entities, exploring ways to monetize ZVS technology in the automotive sector.
The ZVS PCS1000, a 200kW, 1000V power conversion system, is expected to be ready for customer demonstrations in Q2 2026. The growth of AI is creating demand for efficient power conversion, and the ZVS PCS1000 is expected to be a solution for 800V DC distribution architectures being standardized by the Open Compute Project.
The 200kW modular design will scale to 1.2MW and beyond with N+1 redundancy and hot-swap capability. Ultra-low electromagnetic interference is critical for computing infrastructure, and superior efficiency will translate to operational cost savings.
Canada’s clean energy market is projected to grow from 115 GW to 149 GW by 2030, with energy storage capacity expected to expand from 1 GW to 12-16 GW by 2035, representing over $140 billion in investment opportunities (Source: Renewables Association of Canada, Canadian Renewable Energy Market Outlook 2025). The federal government has committed $93 billion in Clean Economy Investment Tax Credits through 2034, including up to 30% refundable credits for clean technology manufacturing (Source: Canada Revenue Agency, Clean Economy Investment Tax Credits).
The collaboration with Pasqua First Nation and Apeiron Resources is expected to position Hillcrest to accelerate market penetration across multiple Canadian sectors. PFN brings relationships in Saskatchewan’s industrial, military and resource sectors, while Apeiron’s expertise in Indigenous business development and government funding programs accelerates access to capital and market opportunities. The Pasqua First Nation Group of Companies (“PFNGC”) holds opportunities such as PRO Metal, a subsidiary focused on metal fabrication and manufacturing, creating potential synergies for future Canadian manufacturing of ZVS products.
Hillcrest continues to advance pathways to monetize its ZVS technology in the automotive sector and is progressing in joint development and licensing opportunities. The Company’s Automotive Center of Excellence in Germany, operated through its collaboration with Systematec GmbH, continues to support these ongoing efforts.
The data center power market is projected to reach $50 billion by 2030 (Source: MarketsandMarkets, Data Center Power Market via PR Newswire), while battery energy storage systems in the 100kW to 1MW range represent a market projected at over $100 billion by 2030 (Source: Battery Energy Storage System Market Research Reports). Emergency power systems represent an $18 billion market by 2030 (Source: Emergency Power System Market Research Reports), while portable and mobile power applications over 100kW represent more than $10 billion in annual market opportunity (Source: Portable/Mobile Power Market Research Reports).
The Company’s ZVS technology delivers performance advantages that create competitive differentiation with superior efficiency exceeding 99%. Ultra-low electromagnetic interference addresses critical requirements in sensitive applications like data centers. Enhanced power quality enables cleaner waveforms, while advanced power density enables more compact installations.
Hillcrest is positioned with financial resources to execute on near-term commercialization priorities. Three key factors differentiate the Company’s position as it enters 2026: proven technology, diverse market access, and strategic collaborations.
The global power conversion market is experiencing convergent growth drivers through electrification mandates, AI infrastructure buildout, renewable energy deployment, and industrial decarbonization.
Don Currie concluded by stating, “We’re not just ready for 2026-we’re positioned to lead.”
The Company also announced the grant of 7,583,333 restricted shares units of the Company to several executives of the Company. The RSU’s are being granted in relation to performance in 2024 and 2025 performance.
Don Currie
info@hillcrestenergy.tech
O: +1 604-609-0006
Toll-free: 1-855-609-0006
Jamie L. Hogue
jhogue@hillcrestenergy.tech
O: +1 602-793-9481
Source: Hillcrest Energy Technologies
