Mr. Colin Padget reports

FOUNDERS METALS HITS 72.0 M OF 2.29 G/T GOLD AT VAN GOGH; EXTENDS MINERALIZATION FROM SURFACE TO 200 M VERTICAL DEPTH

Founders Metals Inc. has released further assay results from preliminary drilling at Van Gogh, the most recent high-grade gold discovery at its Antino gold project in southeastern Suriname. The company reports 72.0 metres of 2.29 grams per tonne gold extending gold mineralization to approximately 200.0 metres vertical depth from surface at Van Gogh. The drilling follows up on the 28.5 metres of 7.12 grams per tonne gold interval from 18 metres downhole in the first hole reported on Feb. 20, 2025.

Highlights:

• Drill hole VG004 intercepts 72.0 metres of 2.29 grams per tonne gold from 177.0 metres downhole;
• Gold mineralization extended from surface (channel -- 17.8 metres of 5.68 grams per tonne gold), through saprolite zone (VG001 -- 28.5 metres of 7.12 grams per tonne gold) and into fresh rock down to 200.0 metres vertical depth (VG004 -- 72.0 metres of 2.29 grams per tonne gold);
• Mineralized interval potentially broadens with depth from surface;
• Completely original discovery with no current or historical artisanal mining within 1.5 kilometres of Van Gogh target area;
• With the success at Da Vinci and Van Gogh, Founders is committed to allocating up to 50 per cent of its 2025 drill metres to high-priority targets in brand new areas;
• Fifth diamond drill operational by midyear.

"The latest Van Gogh results further support the Tier 1 discovery potential that Antino and our 2025 exploration program represents. Van Gogh is emerging as another key discovery, with characteristics most like Upper Antino," said Colin Padget, president and chief executive officer. "Founders' focus this year is on unlocking the property's full potential and building value for shareholders through systematic discovery and the ongoing expansion of our earlier successes. To this end, we currently have four drills turning full-time and a fifth rig will be operational by midyear."

Geology and drilling discussion

Van Gogh is 2.0 kilometres from Lawa and 3.8 kilometres from Da Vinci and forms part of an emerging multikilometre, northwest-oriented gold trend extending through the Maria Geralda target to Lower Antino and subparallel to the main Antino shear zone spanning more than 15 kilometres from Upper Antino to Da Vinci. Gold mineralization at Van Gogh is hosted within a subvertical mylonite zone with estimated true widths ranging approximately 25 to more than 50 metres. The mineralized zones comprise broad intervals of intensely sheared, highly silicified country rock containing multiple generations of quartz veining.

In VG004, the gold-bearing intervals contain up to 15 per cent sulphide (pyrite) and coincide with moderate to strong sericite-chlorite-ankerite alteration.

Drill holes VG002 and VG003 were drilled to test the along-strike continuity of the saprolite oxide-hosted gold mineralization from previously reported channel (17.8 metres of 5.68 grams per tonne gold) and drilling (VG001 -- 28.5 metres of 7.12 grams per tonne gold) results but are interpreted to have gone over the top of the mineralized structure. VG002 and VG003 logging shows similar broad-scale shearing to that observed deeper in holes VG001 and VG004; however, it lacked the characteristic sulphide content commonly associated with significant gold mineralization at Antino. In VG004, the steeply dipping gold mineralization occurs in fresh rock over a much broader interval than in the saprolite above, which may have been transported (that is, slumped) several metres downslope. Follow-up drilling focuses on extending the broad, fresh-rock, gold-bearing interval VG004 and incorporates newly acquired downhole structural and surficial mapping data.

About Founders Metals Inc.

Founders Metals is a Canadian-based exploration company focused on advancing the Antino Gold Project located in Suriname, South America, in the heart of the Guiana Shield. Antino is 20,000 hectares and has produced over 500,000 ounces of gold from surface and alluvial mining to date. The company is fully financed for up to 60,000 metres of drilling in 2025.

Quality assurance and quality control

Samples were analyzed at Filab Suriname, a Bureau Veritas certified laboratory in Paramaribo, Suriname (a commercial certified laboratory under ISO 9001:2015). Samples are crushed to 75 per cent passing a 2.35-millimetre screen, riffle split (700 grams) and pulverized to 85 per cent passing 88 micrometres. Samples were analyzed using a 50-gram fire assay (50-gram aliquot) with an atomic absorption (AA) finish. For samples that return assay values over 5.0 grams per tonne, another cut was taken from the original pulp and fire assayed with a gravimetric finish. Founders Metals inserts blanks and certified reference standards in the sample sequence for quality control. External QA/QC checks are performed at ALS Global Laboratories (geochemistry division) in Lima, Peru (an ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited facility). A secure chain of custody is maintained in transporting and storing of all samples. Drill intervals with visible gold are assayed using metallic screening. Rock-chip samples from outcrop/bedrock are selective by nature and may not be representative of the mineralization hosted on the project.

Qualified persons

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Michael Dufresne, MSc, PGeol, PGeo, a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

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