HydroGraph Taps New CFO to Scale Graphene Disruption

AUSTIN, TX – February 23, 2026 – HydroGraph Clean Power Inc. (CSE: HG) (OTCQB: HGRAF) has appointed veteran finance executive John Neale as its new Chief Financial Officer, a strategic move that signals the company's aggressive push towards commercialization and has already buoyed investor confidence. The appointment, effective February 20, 2026, places a seasoned financial leader at the controls as the advanced materials firm seeks to capitalize on its proprietary graphene technology.

As investors drive HydroGraph’s stock to near 52-week highs, the appointment is being viewed as a critical step in transitioning the company from a research-focused innovator to a commercially viable global enterprise. Matt Anderson, the former CFO, will remain with the company in the newly created role of Vice President of Finance, ensuring a smooth transition and continuity within the finance department.

A Financial Architect for Commercial Scale-Up

John Neale brings over two decades of finance leadership experience from a diverse range of technology, manufacturing, and business-to-business enterprises. In his new capacity as CFO, he will oversee HydroGraph’s finance, legal, human resources, and technology teams, providing the integrated leadership necessary for a company on a steep growth trajectory.

His track record demonstrates a consistent ability to guide innovative companies through critical growth phases. Most recently, as CFO of L7 Informatics Inc., a provider of scientific data and analytics solutions, Neale was instrumental in elevating the company’s accounting systems, securing growth capital, and managing global operations. During his tenure, L7 Informatics successfully raised millions in financing to accelerate the commercialization of its platform. Before that, he served as CFO of Rollick Inc., a VC-backed SaaS company in the recreational vehicle sector, where he was credited with improving gross margins and steering the company toward cash-positive operations.

This experience is precisely what HydroGraph needs as it prepares for its next chapter. “I am pleased to welcome John to the team as we advance dynamic commercial opportunities across a growing list of global enterprise and federal government customers,” said Kjirstin Breure, Chief Executive Officer of HydroGraph. “John brings a depth of financial and operational experience that will support our commercial scale up, continued expansion of our capital markets activity and development of our global team as we drive adoption of HydroGraph’s industry-leading graphene products.”

Unlocking the Potential of 'Disruptive' Graphene

At the heart of HydroGraph’s strategy is its unique method for producing pristine graphene. The company employs a proprietary “explosion synthesis” process that it claims is highly efficient, uses low energy, and produces exceptionally pure graphene with remarkable batch-to-batch consistency. This quality has earned the company verification under the Graphene Council’s Verified Graphene Producer® program, a standard few in the industry can meet.

For years, graphene has been hailed as a revolutionary material, but its widespread adoption has been hampered by challenges related to quality, consistency, and cost-effective production at scale. HydroGraph aims to solve this problem, and Neale’s appointment is a key part of that mission. His role will be to build the financial and operational infrastructure needed to bring this advanced nanomaterial to large global markets.

Neale himself recognized this unique potential. “Throughout my career I have focused on innovation, technology and manufacturing companies, I have come to recognize when a product is truly disruptive,” said Mr. Neale. “HydroGraph’s synthetic graphene has accrued the scientific and commercial base to be just that, unlocking new opportunities to deploy graphene into multiple large global markets that require ultra-pure, batch consistent nanomaterials to fuel the next wave of performance enhancement.” The transition from a groundbreaking laboratory process to a profitable industrial product is a notoriously difficult journey, requiring not just scientific acumen but rigorous financial discipline and strategic market navigation—a challenge Neale is now tasked with leading.

Investor Confidence and Market Momentum

The market has responded with notable optimism to HydroGraph’s recent moves. The company’s stock has enjoyed a remarkable 71% return over the past year, and the announcement of Neale’s appointment helped sustain its upward momentum. This positive sentiment reflects a belief that the company is assembling the right leadership team to execute on its ambitious vision.

Further aligning the new CFO with shareholder interests, HydroGraph granted Neale 938,538 stock options exercisable at $4.47 per share. The options vest in 25% increments over the next four years, a standard structure designed to incentivize long-term performance and value creation. This compensation package underscores the board's confidence in Neale's ability to drive significant growth.

Despite the market enthusiasm and a multi-billion dollar valuation, the company's financial journey is still in its early stages. Like many deep-tech firms, its current valuation is based on future potential rather than present profitability, with ongoing cash burn to fund research, development, and scale-up activities. This financial reality makes the CFO role particularly pivotal. Neale’s primary challenge will be to manage the company's capital resources effectively, secure necessary funding on favorable terms, and build a clear, credible path to profitability that justifies the market's high expectations. His success will be a determining factor in whether HydroGraph can convert its disruptive technology into a sustainable and dominant force in the advanced materials industry.