Indicate by check mark whether the registrant
files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F:
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
Exhibit 99.1
Intercont (Cayman) Limited
2026 Strategic Plan Release –
Anchoring the Core Shipping Business, Multi-Sector Synergy Opens New Growth Trajectories
SINGAPORE, Feb. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
Recently, Intercont (Cayman) Limited (hereinafter referred to as “Intercont”) released its 2026 strategic outlook and
growth plan, positioning this year as a critical inflection point for strategic cross-domain presence and value transformation. The
plan clarifies that Intercont’s future growth will remain anchored in its shipping business, while actively exploring
high-potential sectors. Building upon consolidating its existing strengths in shipping, Intercont plans to expand its ro-ro vessel
green shipping business, strategically acquire the Web3 enterprise zCloak, and subsequently enter into the Artificial Intelligence
(AI) field, thereby constructing a multi-dimensional growth matrix of “Green Shipping + Web3 & AI Infrastructure” to
bring strong momentum to long-term value growth. Behind this strategic positioning lies Intercont’s precise assessment of the
industry trend of deep integration between the digital and real economies, market opportunities under the restructuring of global
industrial division of labor, and the extension path of its own core capabilities.
Deepening the Core Shipping Business: Fortifying
the Operational Foundation
As a global shipping enterprise headquartered in
Singapore, Intercont’s core business focuses on global maritime transportation services. It operates primarily through two segments under
its subsidiaries: time chartering and vessel management. Subsidiaries such as Top Moral, Top Creation, Top Legend, and Max Bright all
generate core revenue from chartering business. Seizing the dual opportunities presented by the global shipping industry’s low-carbon
transition and the surging demand for new energy vehicles and cross-border e-commerce logistics, Intercont’s Singapore-based subsidiary,
Openwindow, entered into a strategic partnership with CINCO INTERNATIONAL HONGKONG LIMITED in October 2025, acquiring ro-ro vessels to
expand its green shipping segment. This cooperation not only infuses new green momentum into Intercont’s fleet but is also expected to
generate stable cash flow. According to estimates, post-transaction, Intercont will take over existing time charter contracts, which are
projected to generate cumulative book revenue of approximately USD 110 million and cumulative net profit of approximately USD 88 million
(unaudited estimate) during the contract period. By providing diversified green transportation solutions, Intercont expects to further
enhance customer stickiness and market reputation, strengthen its ESG framework and market competitiveness, thereby constructing a sustainable
virtuous cycle of “Operations-Financing-Brand-Valuation”.
In 2026, Intercont will continue to prioritize “optimizing
its core business” as a strategic focus. By improving operational efficiency and optimizing cost structure, it plans to achieve steady
growth in business cash flow. Simultaneously, Intercont will focus on projects with high input-output ratios and embed compliance throughout
all processes, solidifying the “ballast stone” for multi-sector business expansion.
Proposed Acquisition of zCloak Transaction: Unlocking
the Synergistic Link Between Web3 and AI
In 2026, global AI technology is transitioning from
the experimental phase to a critical cycle of enterprise-scale deployment. The OpenAI report, The State of Enterprise AI 2025, indicates
that enterprise adoption of AI has shifted from “pilot exploration” to “scaled deep application”.[1] Concurrently,
AI Agents are evolving from mere “conversational assistants” into “digital employees” capable of autonomously executing
transactions, signing contracts, and invoking services. However, a core question emerges: When AI makes business decisions on behalf of
humans, how can we ensure it is trustworthy, traceable, and accountable?
To enter the Web3 domain and acquire core capabilities
in AI and digital finance, Intercont entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with zCloak, a leading Singapore-based Web3 technology
services company, in December 2025, planning to strategically acquire a minority stake of no more than 50% in Starks Network Ltd.
zCloak is committed to building trusted transaction
infrastructure for the AI era, with its core competency lying in the deep integration of AI-trusted infrastructure and digital finance.
Its technological system revolves around the core proposition of “making AI accountable and payments programmable.” In terms
of AI trustworthiness, zCloak’s self-developed Agent Trust Protocol (ATP) binds a traceable digital identity to each AI Agent. On the
digital finance front, zCloak has constructed a complete stablecoin payment tech stack, supporting multi-chain wallet management for mainstream
stablecoins like USDC and USDT, and implementing an “AI proposes, human approves” risk control mechanism; cross-border payments
are compressed from the traditional 3-5 days and 3-7% fees to minute-level settlement with costs below 0.1%. The fusion of these two capabilities
is expected to position zCloak as a key infrastructure provider for the AI Agent economy era —
enabling AI not only to think and decide but also to execute value exchange within a trusted and compliant framework.
If this acquisition is completed, through post-acquisition
integration, Intercont is expected to bypass homogeneous competition in generic large-scale models and instead acquire two scarce capabilities:
firstly, applying zCloak’s AI identity and auditing technology to scenarios such as shipping supply chains and vessel management, achieving
compliance and traceability in AI-assisted decision-making; secondly, leveraging the stablecoin payment infrastructure to optimize cross-border
settlement efficiency and reduce capital costs and exchange rate risks in global shipping operations. This move expects to position Intercont
to form differentiated competitive advantages along the dual mainlines of “AI + Shipping” and “Digital Finance + Shipping”,
offering global customers secure, efficient, and low-cost intelligent solutions.
Focusing on the AI Field: Concentrating on Infrastructure,
Building Platform Capabilities
Leveraging zCloak’s AI technology support, Intercont
will focus its AI strategy on the “platform and infrastructure layer” —
the core hub connecting computing power, data, models, and industry demand, which is also the area with the highest technological barriers
and the most enduring commercial value.
In the build-out of AI infrastructure, data center
construction and global expansion have become key strategic levers . Intercont plans to position Turkey as a hub for overseas expansion.
Intercont has already signed an NDA with a Turkish energy company, and subsequent letters of intent are planned, aiming for deep collaboration.
Leveraging Turkey’s geopolitical advantage connecting advanced European technology, Middle Eastern energy resources, and Asian manufacturing
capacity, along with its robust submarine cable network and rapidly growing digital economy, Intercont will advance the phased deployment
of AI-ready data center nodes: first focusing on pilot implementations for essential industries like finance and telecommunications; then
integrating zCloak’s technological resources to form a closed loop of “technology-infrastructure-scenario”; and finally building
a regional-level data center serving cross-border business across Asia, Europe, and Africa. This will be coupled with cultivating a localized
talent pool through partnerships with local universities and research institutions, radiating capabilities to surrounding markets. This
“hub-and-spoke + local adaptation” model aims to mitigate regional market volatility risks and achieve steady global expansion.
Simultaneously, Intercont will adopt an open and
win-win philosophy to build its AI ecosystem, actively engaging with partners in areas such as computing hardware supply, data governance,
and industry-specific solutions, exploring paths for joint technology R&D and shared infrastructure development, and promoting the
scaled implementation of AI infrastructure.
Strategic Closure: Multi-Sector Synergy, Advancing
Towards a Platform Enterprise
Ms. Muchun Zhu, CEO of Intercont, stated: “2026
represents a critical inflection point for Intercont’s value transformation and valuation framework shift. On one hand, we possess the
cash flow foundation and support derived from our core shipping business. Concurrently, we will lead the Group into higher-barrier, higher-compounding
growth trajectories: AI infrastructure. We are not participating in the red ocean competition of generic large models; instead, we are
focusing on the foundational capabilities most critical for the future AI economy. Our strategy is clear: using shipping assets as the
cash flow foundation, AI infrastructure as the growth engine, and leveraging the Turkey data center node as the strategic hub for global
deployment, we will progressively build a company with long-term platform attributes and compounding growth characteristics.”
Data Source:
| [1] | The State of Enterprise AI 2025 |
https://cdn.openai.com/pdf/7ef17d82-96bf-4dd1-9df2-228f7f377a29/the-state-of-enterprise-ai_2025-report.pdf
About Intercont (Cayman) Limited
Intercont (Cayman) Limited is a global shipping enterprise
with plans for seaborne pulping operations. Under a visionary management team, Intercont is dedicated to providing customers with efficient
and environmentally friendly transportation solutions through innovative business models and technology. For more information, please
visit: https://www.intercontcayman.com.
Forward-Looking Statement
This press release contains statements of a forward-looking
nature. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and
underlying assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of historical facts. When the Company uses words such as “may,
“will, “intend,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “project,”
“estimate” or similar expressions that do not relate solely to historical matters, it is making forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results
to differ materially from the Company’s expectations discussed in the forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to
uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, the uncertainties related to market conditions and the completion of the initial
public offering on the anticipated terms or at all, and other factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of the registration
statement filed with the SEC. For these reasons, among others, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking
statements in this press release. Additional factors are discussed in the Company’s filings with the SEC, which are available for
review at www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances
that arise after the date hereof.
Contact information:
investorrelations@intercontcayman.com
+65 88182399
