Atlas Critical Minerals Appoints Chief Technical Officer with Proven Track Record Across Multiple Critical Minerals
Rhea-AI Summary
Atlas Critical Minerals (NASDAQ: ATCX) appointed James Schloffer as Chief Technical Officer on February 23, 2026. Mr. Schloffer brings 15+ years of process engineering experience across rare earths, graphite, uranium, vanadium, and iron ore. The company controls > 218,000 hectares in Brazil and reported independent graphite testwork reaching 99.9995% carbon.
His background includes rare earths plant optimization and Brazilian project experience, which the company says will support advancement of Alto do Paranaíba, Iporá, Malacacheta graphite, uranium targets and the revenue-generating Rio Piracicaba iron project.
Positive
- 218,000 hectares critical minerals portfolio in Brazil
- Tested graphite achieved 99.9995% carbon purity
- Executive with 15+ years multi-commodity technical experience
- Direct rare earths processing and plant optimization experience
- Operational iron ore expertise supporting Rio Piracicaba revenue ramp
Negative
- None.
Market Reaction – ATCX
Following this news, ATCX has gained 6.71%, reflecting a notable positive market reaction. Argus tracked a peak move of +6.7% during the session. Our momentum scanner has triggered 10 alerts so far, indicating notable trading interest and price volatility. The stock is currently trading at $6.52. This price movement has added approximately $2M to the company's valuation.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus (15 min delayed). Upgrade to Silver for real-time data.
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
No peer stocks were flagged in the momentum scanner, and sector-level data show no concurrent moves, suggesting this CTO appointment is being evaluated on a company-specific basis.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 26 | Metallurgy results | Positive | -23.9% | Reported high metallurgical recoveries at Alto do Paranaíba rare earths project. |
| Jan 23 | Nasdaq ceremony | Positive | +26.9% | Announced ringing of the Nasdaq Opening Bell to mark listing milestone. |
| Jan 13 | Nasdaq listing | Positive | -3.4% | Commenced trading on Nasdaq, emphasizing Brazil critical minerals portfolio. |
| Jan 12 | Equity offering close | Neutral | +0.3% | Closed upsized public offering of common stock with full over-allotment exercise. |
| Jan 08 | Offering pricing | Neutral | -28.2% | Priced upsized public offering and confirmed uplisting to Nasdaq Capital Market. |
Recent news has produced mixed price reactions, with some positive operational milestones followed by sharp downside moves, especially around financing events and technical disclosures.
Over the past months, Atlas Critical Minerals has focused on capital markets access and technical validation. The company uplisted and began trading on Nasdaq in January 2026, alongside upsized equity offerings at $8.00 per share. It highlighted high metallurgical recoveries at Alto do Paranaíba and promoted its Nasdaq milestone with an Opening Bell event. Today’s CTO appointment fits this pattern of building technical depth around its Brazil-focused critical minerals portfolio.
Market Pulse Summary
The stock is up +6.7% following this news. A strong positive reaction aligns with the company’s focus on building technical credibility after its January 2026 Nasdaq listing and metallurgical results. The appointment of a CTO with 15+ years across rare earths, graphite, uranium, and iron ore reinforces execution capability on projects like Malacacheta graphite, which achieved 99.9995% carbon purity. Investors might still weigh this against the stock’s position well below its 52-week high.
Key Terms
pre-feasibility study (pfs) technical
beneficiation technical
nuclear-grade graphite technical
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
Process Engineer Brings 15+ Years of Experience Across Rare Earths, Graphite, Uranium, and Iron Ore to Strengthen Technical Leadership
Belo Horizonte, Brazil--(Newsfile Corp. - February 23, 2026) - Atlas Critical Minerals Corporation (NASDAQ: ATCX) ("Atlas Critical Minerals" or "Company"), a company focused on critical minerals for energy, technology, and defense applications, is pleased to announce the appointment of James Schloffer as Chief Technical Officer. Mr. Schloffer is an accomplished process engineer with more than 15 years of study, design, project management, commissioning and operational experience across the full project lifecycle - from process simulation, conceptual studies, and feasibility-level engineering through commissioning, plant optimization, and commercial operations. His experience spans lithium (upstream and downstream), rare earths, graphite, uranium, vanadium, and iron ore projects in multiple jurisdictions, including Brazil.
Key Highlights
Deep Rare Earths Expertise: Mr. Schloffer brings direct rare earths processing experience, including plant optimization and metallurgical accounting at Northern Minerals' Browns Range rare earths operation in Australia, as well as process engineering contributions to the Ngualla rare earths project in Tanzania and the Nolans Bore rare earths project in Australia. This experience is directly applicable to advancing the Company's Alto do Paranaíba and Iporá rare earths projects in Brazil.
Graphite Processing Experience: His references include graphite concentrator process design and pre-feasibility study (PFS) deliverables for multiple graphite projects, including the Burke graphite PFS and the Carbonscape biomass-to-graphite PFS. This background supports Atlas Critical Minerals' Malacacheta Graphite Project, from which the tested material recently achieved nuclear-grade purity of
99.9995% carbon in independent testing at a premier specialized U.S. laboratory.Uranium and Vanadium Experience: Mr. Schloffer most recently served as Lead Process Engineer on the detailed design of Deep Yellow Ltd's uranium and vanadium project for Deep Yellow Ltd, one of the most technically-advanced uranium development projects globally. He also contributed process engineering expertise to the Laguna Salada uranium and vanadium Project in Argentina. This experience aligns with the Company's strategic areas with uranium potential in Brazil.
Iron Ore Operations Expertise: His career includes significant iron ore experience with major operators including Fortescue, Mineral Resources, Rio Tinto, and Roy Hill, encompassing beneficiation, process design, commissioning, and metallurgical accounting - providing valuable operational perspective as the Company continues to ramp up its revenue-generating Rio Piracicaba Iron Ore Project.
Brazilian Project Familiarity: Mr. Schloffer has worked extensively as a key part of the Atlas Lithium's technical team developing the Neves Lithium Project in Brazil's Minas Gerais state. on Brazilian mining projects, including serving as Senior Process Engineer for Sigma Lithium Resources, where he supervised metallurgical testwork and delivered detailed feasibility study deliverables for projects in Brazil's Minas Gerais state.
Mr. Schloffer holds a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from the University of Melbourne, Australia.
Mr. Schloffer commented: "I am delighted to join Atlas Critical Minerals as CTO at such a pivotal time. The Company controls one of the largest critical minerals portfolios in Brazil, spanning more than 218,000 hectares, and is advancing high-quality projects across rare earths, nuclear-grade graphite, uranium, and iron ore - all commodities I have worked with extensively. The opportunity to apply my experience to a mineral portfolio of this scale and strategic importance is truly compelling. I look forward to contributing to the technical advancement of these assets and helping build value for shareholders."
Marc Fogassa, CEO and Chairman of Atlas Critical Minerals, added: "James brings an exceptional combination of technical depth and breadth in critical minerals. His hands-on experience across rare earths, graphite, uranium, and iron ore makes him a strong addition to our team as we advance multiple projects simultaneously. This reflects our commitment to building a world-class technical organization capable of executing across the spectrum of critical minerals in our portfolio."
About Atlas Critical Minerals Corporation
Atlas Critical Minerals Corporation (NASDAQ: ATCX) is an exploration and development company focused on critical minerals, including rare earths, graphite, and uranium. The Company's focus is to build a diversified global supply chain for the strategic minerals essential for the artificial intelligence revolution, energy transformation, and defense uses. More information is available at www.atlascriticalminerals.com and in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are based upon the current plans, estimates and projections of Atlas Critical Minerals and its subsidiaries and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ from the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.
Risks related to the Company and its subsidiaries are discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Company's Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on February 20, 2026. Please also refer to the Company's other filings with the SEC, all of which are available at www.sec.gov. In addition, any forward-looking statements represent the Company's views only as of today and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. The Company explicitly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based.
Investor Relations
Brian W. Bernier
Vice President, Investor Relations
+1 (833) 661-7900
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/284810
FAQ
Who is the new CTO of Atlas Critical Minerals (ATCX) announced February 23, 2026?
How does James Schloffer's experience affect ATCX rare earths projects Alto do Paranaíba and Iporá?
What significance does the 99.9995% graphite result have for ATCX Malacacheta project?
Will James Schloffer's iron ore experience help Atlas Critical Minerals' Rio Piracicaba operations?
Does James Schloffer have prior Brazilian mining project experience relevant to ATCX?
How might the CTO appointment affect ATCX shareholders and technical execution?
