My bet is that BASF is the silent partner Just speculation, but I believe BASF may be the strategic partner (as I think Blaggers and perhaps others have suggested as a possibility). This assumption is based on:
1) the partner is described by CRE as a leading chemical company, which describes BASF;
2) BASF is German based and as someone who attended the AGM indicated on this board, another AGM attendee suggested the partner is a German based company (although refuted as speculation by JSL or JFM, but leaks do happen);
3) from the BASF website: “As part of its long-term battery materials strategy, BASF will continue to work with partners in industry and science to develop materials and technologies for current and next generation lithium-ion batteries as well as for future battery systems”;
4) BASF, among other things, is building a lithium-ion battery materials plant in Ohio (
https://www.reliableplant.com/Read/27186/BASF-lithium-ion-battery) ;
5) BASF is involved in the mica market and JFM stated in November 2015 that the strategic partner is also involved in the mica market (
https://www.kitco.com/commentaries/2015-10-12/Critical-Elements-Corp-Putting-Canada-on-the-map-of-Lithium-Producers.html);
6) It was stated in an article on CRE (I’ve lost track of which one) that there are three main lithium suppliers in the world and their strategic partner has plans to become the 4
th – an ambitious plan that a company such as BASF may be capable of.
Again, this is just speculation on my part, but BASF could be the “game-changer” JSL was talking about.
Good luck everyone!