European Lithium Broadens Focus with Strategic Acquisition and Capital Moves

In a significant strategic shift, European Lithium is expanding beyond its core lithium focus through a major acquisition while simultaneously bolstering its financial position. The company is entering the titanium and critical minerals market, even as its flagship Austrian project faces ongoing regulatory challenges.

Ahead of its strategic pivot, European Lithium has taken decisive steps to enhance its liquidity. On January 21, 2026, the company reported the sale of 5 million shares in Critical Metals Corp. (CRML), generating net proceeds of approximately 124 million Australian dollars. This transaction provides a substantial boost to the firm's cash reserves.

Furthermore, on January 19, 2026, European Lithium applied to list 17.5 million new ordinary shares on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). These shares originated from the exercise of options and serve to expand the company's equity base. Together, these capital measures grant the business increased financial flexibility to pursue its operational goals and integrate new assets.

Diversifying into Titanium and Critical Minerals

The centerpiece of the new strategy is a binding agreement to acquire U.S.-based Velta Holding. Velta operates production and mining facilities in Ukraine with a specialization in titanium.

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The acquisition is structured as an all-share transaction, to be financed through the issuance of roughly 173 million new European Lithium shares. This move provides the company with exposure to titanium, a vital raw material for the defense, aerospace, energy, and advanced manufacturing sectors. The assets involved include Velta's Berzunivskiy mining and processing complex and the Lekarivske deposit, both located in central Ukraine. This acquisition marks a deliberate expansion of European Lithium's portfolio into a broader range of critical raw materials.

Navigating Market Dynamics and Project Uncertainty

This diversification comes amid shifting dynamics in the battery raw materials sector. Market analysts project a stabilization for the lithium market, anticipating a balanced to slightly surplus environment for the 2026/2027 period. Against this backdrop, European Lithium's broader positioning in critical resources appears strategically timed.

Despite the new foray into titanium, the Wolfsberg lithium project in Austria remains the company's central undertaking. However, it continues to represent a key uncertainty. In late 2025, an Austrian court revoked a crucial permit for the project, creating regulatory headwinds for an asset considered strategically important for an integrated European battery supply chain.

The pace and ultimate success of European Lithium's efforts to advance the Wolfsberg permitting process will be critical. The recent acquisition and strengthened financial standing are seen as providing the company with greater flexibility to navigate this agenda.