US$6.5 million competition seeks novel drone designs that can carry payloads heavier than their weight.

Vancouver, BC, Canada, January 15, 2026 – TheNewswire - First Tellurium Corp. (CSE: FTEL, OTC: FSTTF) reports that its majority-owned subsidiary PyroDelta Energy Inc. has entered the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) DARPA Lift Challenge, a US$6.5 million competition seeking novel drone designs that can that can solve one of vertical heavy lift aviation's toughest problems: the payload-to-weight ratio. DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, brings together scientists, engineers, and tinkerers across the innovation ecosystem to push the bounds of technological possibility.

Through the Lift Challenge, DARPA hopes to revolutionize the way drones are used in defense, agriculture, construction, logistics and beyond. The contest can also provide competitors with unmatched national exposure and a legacy as a pioneer in drone technology.

“I’m confident we can meet the contest’s challenging requirements,” said PyroDelta Head Engineer Michael Abdelmaseh. “By combining our thermoelectric technology with a revolutionary design developed through ongoing R&D, we believe we can achieve an unparalleled payload-to-weight ratio for the drone industry and be highly competitive.”

Abdelmaseh, a Certified Remote Pilot with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), will fly PyroDelta’s drone in the competition, scheduled for summer of 2026. The date and location of the competition will be announced later this year.

“We have been amazed by PyroDelta’s recent advancements in drone design,” said First Tellurium President and CEO Tyrone Docherty. “The DARPA Lift Challenge has provided a timely platform for testing and showcasing these advancements. Based on what I’ve seen to date, I share Michael’s confidence in our ability to be very competitive in this contest.”

About First Tellurium Corp.

First Tellurium’s unique business model is to generate revenue and value through mineral discovery, project development, project generation and development of tellurium-based technologies.

First Tellurium is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol “FTEL” and on the OTC under the symbol “FSTTF”. Further information about FTEL and its projects can be found at www.firsttellurium.com.

On behalf of the board of directors of First Tellurium Corp.   “Tyrone Docherty”                        Tyrone Docherty President and CEO	For further information please contact: Tyrone Docherty 604.789.5653 tyrone@firsttellurium.com
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