Founders Metals Inc. (TSXV: FDR) (OTCQX: FDMIF) (FSE: 9DL0) announces results from the Upper Antino target area at its Antino Gold Project in southeastern Suriname (Figure 1). Recent exploration drilling at Upper Antino intersected 28.0 metres of 14.27 grams per tonne gold from 433.0 m in drill hole FR249, a 50 m down-dip extension of previously reported FR175 (10.0 m of 5.90 g/t Au).

Colin Padget, President & CEO, commented, “These results demonstrate meaningful high-grade growth potential at Upper Antino. FR249 is one of the strongest holes we’ve drilled at Antino, returning 28.0 metres of 14.27 g/t gold — grade we have typically seen only within the high-grade Froyo core, now intersected well outside it. By extending this mineralization down-dip from FR175, the hole potentially demonstrates strong vertical continuity of a new high-grade zone. Establishing its scale is a priority for our ongoing drilling.”

Highlights

• Broad high-grade gold: 28.0 m of 14.27 g/t Au from 433.0 m (~340 m vertical) in FR249, a 50 m down-dip extension from the previously reported drill hole FR175 intersecting 10.0 m of 5.90 g/t Au
• Multiple stacked zones: Drill hole FR249 intersected multiple gold zones with downhole widths ranging from 6.0 m to 28.0 m (Figures 2 and 3)
• Growing gabbro-hosted target: gold mineralization occurs within a gabbro unit widening at depth, representing a progressively larger target for follow-up drilling

Geological Discussion

Ongoing drilling at Upper Antino is testing the down-dip continuation of the multiple gold-bearing shear zones that define the target. Hole FR249 cut four stacked, sub-parallel shears between 285.0 m and 461.0 m down-hole, the deepest of which returned 28.0 m of 14.27 g/t Au from 433.0 m (~340 m vertical) (Figures 2 and 3). The zones above it graded 18.0 m of 1.04 g/t Au from 285.0 m, 24.0 m of 0.36 g/t Au from 319.0 m, and 6.0 m of 1.62 g/t Au from 415.0 m, confirming that the stacked architecture seen near surface persists well below it. Earlier deep drilling traced mineralization to approximately 500 m vertical (announced August 11, 2025); FR249 now further demonstrates that these deeper horizons can carry substantially higher grades.

The highlight intercept occurs where the mineralized structures transect a large gabbro body. Gold mineralization at Upper Antino remains structurally controlled, with the gabbro providing a favourable host: the competent, brittle unit fractures readily where the shears cut through it, opening space for the quartz veining that carries high-grade gold, while its iron-rich composition promotes gold deposition from the mineralizing fluids. Because the unit widens down-dip, the structures intersect progressively greater volumes of this favourable host at depth. Mineralization remains open, and follow-up drilling is planned to track the high-grade structure along strike and down-plunge, with emphasis on its intersection with the gabbro.

The remaining holes in this release tested parallel shears across Upper Antino at a range of depths, returning results consistent with the multi-zone character of the target, including 3.0 m of 6.06 g/t Au from 45.6 m in FR231 and a broad interval of 56.0 m of 0.40 g/t Au from 351.0 m, including 10.0 m of 1.10 g/t Au in drill hole FR241.

About Founders Metals Inc.

Founders Metals Inc. is a Canadian gold exploration company building a district-scale gold camp in southeastern Suriname. The Company controls a 102,360-hectare contiguous land package in the Guiana Shield – the largest uninterrupted package of highly prospective greenstone belt geology in the region. Founders is executing one of the most active exploration programs in the global junior gold sector and is backed by a strategic partnership with Gold Fields Limited. The Company is committed to responsible exploration, strong community engagement, and disciplined capital allocation as it advances Suriname’s next major gold camp.

Figure 1: Antino Gold Project Property Map

Figure 2: Upper Antino Plan Map

Figure 3: Upper Antino Section

Table 1: Antino Assay Results

Intervals are down-hole depths. True widths of mineralization are unknown at this time based on currently available results and observations. All are diamond drill holes. Interval average grades are calculated with un-capped gold assays, as insufficient drilling has been completed to determine capping levels for higher-grade gold intercepts. Widths are calculated using a 0.10 g/t gold cut-off grade with <5.0 m of internal dilution of zero grade material, and a minimum composite length of 2.0 m. Intervals below 3.0 gram-metres are omitted.

Table 2: Antino Drillhole Locations

Coordinates are reported in WGS 84 / UTM Zone 21N.