VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 4, 2024 / CoTec Holdings Corp. (TSXV:CTH) (OTCQB:CTHCF) ("CoTec" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Retired Vice-Admiral Robert "Bob" Harward to its Board of Directors (the "Board") effective March 4, 2024.

Julian Treger, CoTec CEO commented: "We are very pleased to welcome Bob Harward to our Board. Bob's unique experience gained as a Vice Admiral, US Navy SEAL and as a senior defence technology executive will complement our board and help to drive CoTec's strategy of applying innovative technologies to otherwise overlooked assets including critical minerals and recycling rare earth elements."

Bob Harward is a retired United States Navy Vice Admiral (SEAL) and a former Deputy Commander of the United States Central Command, he served on the US National Security Council in The White House and led several multi-national special forces commands in Afghanistan and Iraq. He joined Lockheed Martin in 2014 as their Chief Executive in the UAE and expanded his responsibilities to cover the Middle East, leaving to join Shield AI as Executive Vice President for International Business Development and Strategy based in the UAE.

Mr. Bob Harward commented, "CoTec is very well placed to help secure critical minerals and disruptive technologies vital to western interests and the United States. I look forward to joining the CoTec Board and working with the team to grow the company in this exciting opportunity".

About CoTec

CoTec is a publicly traded investment issuer listed on the Toronto Venture Stock Exchange ("TSX- V") and the OTCQB and trades under the symbol CTH and CTHCF respectively. The Company is an environment, social, and governance ("ESG")-focused company investing in innovative technologies that have the potential to fundamentally change the way metals and minerals can be extracted and processed for the purpose of applying those technologies to undervalued operating assets and recycling opportunities, as the Company transitions into a mid- tier mineral resource producer.

CoTec is committed to supporting the transition to a lower carbon future for the extraction industry, a sector on the cusp of a green revolution as it embraces technology and innovation. The Company has made four investments to date and is actively pursuing operating opportunities where current technology investments could be deployed.

For further information, please contact:

Braam Jonker - (604) 992-5600

Forward-Looking Information Cautionary Statement

Statements in this press release regarding the Company and its investments which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" which involve risks and uncertainties, including statements relating to expected benefits that could be derived from the appointment of Bob Harward as well as management's expectations with respect to current and potential future investments and the benefits to the Company which may be implied from such statements. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature, they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results in each case could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements, due to known and unknown risks and uncertainties affecting the Company, including but not limited to resource and reserve risks; environmental risks and costs; labor costs and shortages; uncertain supply and price fluctuations in materials; increases in energy costs; labor disputes and work stoppages; leasing costs and the availability of equipment; heavy equipment demand and availability; contractor and subcontractor performance issues; worksite safety issues; project delays and cost overruns; extreme weather conditions; and social disruptions. For further details regarding risks and uncertainties facing the Company please refer to "Risk Factors" in the Company's filing statement dated April 6, 2022, a copy of which may be found under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. The Company assumes no responsibility to update forward-looking statements in this press release except as required by law. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release and are encouraged to read the Company's continuous disclosure documents which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.