Rock Tech Lithium Returns CFO Sobel as Ontario Financing and Siemens Digital Twin Advance

Rock Tech Lithium rehires Derek Sobel as CFO, raises C$3.51M in a second tranche, and signs Siemens Canada for a digital twin at Red Rock.

Rock Tech Lithium has moved to shore up both its balance sheet and its technical bench, combining a leadership change with fresh capital and an expanded engineering partnership as it prepares to present its integrated Ontario strategy to institutional investors.

The German-Canadian project developer confirmed that Derek Sobel has returned as Chief Financial Officer, taking over from Christopher Wright. The appointment lands alongside a private placement that was upsized to as much as C$6.0 million. The second tranche delivered gross proceeds of C$3.51 million, of which C$3.25 million came from a new strategic investor tied to the Guben project.

Proceeds are earmarked for the Georgia Lake mine feasibility study, development of the Red Rock lithium converter, and general corporate purposes — a package management says keeps project work running without interruption.

Eighteen Meetings on the Muskoka Agenda

Rock Tech is taking that story on the road. The company is attending the Muskoka Capital Event in Ontario, a three-day gathering running from September 25 to 27, 2026, where it has booked 18 direct meetings with institutional investors. The conference follows a virtual investor session held earlier in the week, part of a broader September push to intensify dialogue with the capital markets.

At the center of those conversations is Rock Tech's concept of integrated value creation in Ontario — pairing raw material extraction with downstream processing at its own converter. Beyond the individual development steps, the timelines for the targeted start of production are drawing the most attention. Management is betting that tight coupling of mining and local refining will shorten transport routes and secure the supply chain, and institutional investors are pressing for credible interim milestones.

Siemens Builds the Digital Process Twin

On the technical side, Rock Tech has signed agreements with Siemens Canada covering development of a digital process twin for the planned Red Rock Lithium Converter. Siemens will also provide support on process control, instrumentation, and automation for the ongoing definitive feasibility study, which is scheduled for completion in mid-December 2026.

The collaboration is designed to simulate the future plant's operations digitally during the planning phase, flagging technical risks early and curbing later operating costs. The modeling also feeds data into permitting procedures and detailed engineering work.

Separately, media reports indicate Rock Tech and Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper received the 2026 Northern Innovators Award.

Placement Terms and Market Reaction

The financing closed roughly a week ago under final terms covering up to 9,219,301 units priced at C$0.65 each. The offering had previously been increased to a maximum of C$6.0 million.

In the market, the shares have traded in positive territory. The stock closed Thursday at EUR 0.4250, a daily gain of 2.4 percent, and rose 1.6 percent to EUR 0.4350 in the following session. That leaves the equity roughly 24 percent above its 52-week low.

Whether the recent operational agreements and the liquidity inflow are enough to carry the project through the feasibility phase on schedule remains the yardstick by which market participants will judge the coming months.