Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 11, 2025) - Founders Metals Inc. (TSXV: FDR) (OTCQX: FDMIF) (FSE: 9DL0) ("Founders" or the "Company") is pleased to announce drill core assay results from its ongoing drill program at the Antino Gold Project ("Antino" or the "Project") in southeastern Suriname (Figure 1). The results include the first phase of drilling at the Parbo target and follow-up drilling at the Da Vinci and Maria Geralda targets - three priority emerging discoveries within the 56,000 hectare (ha) Antino Gold Project.

At Parbo, inaugural drilling has outlined broad, intrusion-hosted gold mineralization with internal high-grade shear zones, highlighted by 72.0 metres (m) of 1.01 grams per tonne (g/t) gold (Au) including 4.0 m of 11.97 g/t Au in hole PB003, and 101.0 m of 0.62 g/t Au from surface in hole PB013. At Da Vinci, step-outs continue to extend the shear-hosted gold mineralization, including 19.5 m of 2.31 g/t Au and 22.5 m of 1.38 g/t Au in hole DV016. At Maria Geralda, drilling has now expanded mineralization 400 m southeast of the initial discovery, returning broad intrusion-hosted gold with discrete high-grade zones, including 53.0 m of 0.41 g/t Au in MG006 and 12.0 m of 1.12 g/t Au in MG010, adjacent to the previously reported 22.5 m of 11.88 g/t Au in MG003.

Colin Padget, Founders' President & CEO, commented: "These results from Parbo, Da Vinci, and Maria Geralda further demonstrate the scale and consistency of the gold systems emerging across Antino. Parbo, in particular, is shaping up as a significant intrusion-hosted target with multiple shear zones that remain open in all directions. I was especially impressed with Parbo hole PB013 which, including a 10 m interval of dilution, returned 200 m of 0.51 g/t Au from surface. We will continue to advance this exciting target into the new year. Da Vinci and Maria Geralda continue to deliver robust gold mineralized intercepts within increasingly well-defined structural corridors. Each round of drilling strengthens our geological model, guiding a focused, systematic, and value-driven approach as we plan our 2026 exploration program."

Drilling Highlights

PARBO - Broad intrusion-hosted gold system with internal high-grade shear zones

• PB003: 72.0 m of 1.01 g/t Au from 111.0 m, including 4.0 m of 11.97 g/t Au
• PB013: 101.0 m of 0.62 g/t Au from surface and 77.0 m of 0.47 g/t Au from 123.0 m
• PB001: 21.0 m of 0.96 g/t Au from 66.0 m and 12.0 m of 2.91 g/t Au from 262.0 m
• Drilling confirms substantial gold mineralization across an ~800 m by 400 m corridor down to 250 m vertical depth and remains open
• Core logging of additional holes pending assay results indicate the intrusive complex, shearing, and sulphide-bearing quartz vein system extends at least 1,400 m by 800 m and to at least 275 m depth
• Vertical auger sampling to depths between 10-15 m demonstrates gold mineralization extends through the oxide zone and to surface, with auger results including 13.0 m of 1.05 g/t Au (PB011) and 13.0 m of 0.79 g/t Au (PB013)

DA VINCI - Main zone expansion and discovery of new parallel structure

• DV016:
  • 19.5 m of 2.31 g/t Au from 21.6 m;
  • 22.5 m of 1.38 g/t Au from 99.6 m;
  • plus, additional broad shear-hosted intervals of anomalous gold mineralization
• DV017: 18.0 m of 0.58 g/t Au and 4.0 m of 1.77 g/t Au
• DV019: 22.5 m of 0.24 g/t Au in the first hole testing a new parallel structure 1.5 km southwest of Da Vinci with additional holes from this target pending assay
• Regional auger sampling expands the Da Vinci gold-in-auger anomaly >1.0 km southeast, while mapping, LiDAR, and magnetics collectively define a >2.5 km structural trend linking Da Vinci to Buese

MARIA GERALDA - 400 metre strike extension from discovery hole and broad intrusive-hosted mineralization

• MG006: 53.0 m of 0.41 g/t Au and 17.0 m of 0.31 g/t Au
• MG009: 3.0 m of 2.03 g/t Au and 22.5 m of 0.34 g/t Au
• MG010: 12.0 m of 1.12 g/t Au, 2.0 m of 5.12 g/t Au, and 3.0 m of 1.71 g/t Au, plus additional mineralized intervals (see table 1)
• Drilling extends the mineralized trend 400 m southeast, for a total of over 600 m of drill-confirmed gold-mineralized strike
• Auger sampling extends the surface anomaly a further 950 m southeast towards the Van Gogh target, bringing the total length of surface anomaly to 2 km.

Geological Discussion

PARBO

Parbo is defined by a 1.2 km × 0.6 km historical gold-in-auger anomaly with local 1 m auger samples grading up to 51.42 g/t Au*. Founders' Phase 1 drilling targeted mapped intrusive contacts and shear zones to successfully confirm broad, continuous zones of gold mineralization within a granodiorite intrusive body. The current drill-defined mineralized corridor measures ~800 m × 400 m and down to ~250 m depth, remaining open in all directions. Geological logging from recent step-outs suggests the broader intrusive complex extends at least 1.4 km × 0.8 km and to ~275 m vertical depth. Regional auger sampling has also delineated a 2.8 km NW-trending anomaly coincident with a major linear feature identified in magnetic and LiDAR datasets. Future drilling will focus on targeting these potentially higher-grade contact zones within the Parbo target area and numerous additional intrusive centres identified across the Property.

DA VINCI

Drilling at Da Vinci extends the highest-grade gold zones strike length to ~200 m confirming multiple stacked shears hosted within a dominantly sedimentary rock package. Initial drilling of a newly identified parallel structure, located 1.5 km southwest, has returned encouraging mineralization over significant widths with 22.5 m of 0.24 g/t Au in DV019. This new zone represents part of a newly identified prospective structural corridor that extends 2.5 km between Da Vinci to Buese.

MARIA GERALDA

Follow-up drilling southeast of discovery hole MG003 (22.5 m of 11.88 g/t Au; in oxide from 18 m down hole) intercepted shear-hosted mineralization along predominantly intrusive contacts and broader mineralized intervals within the intrusive body itself. Follow-up drilling and a thorough review of the structural data suggest that the high-grade zone in hole MG003 may represent a sub-horizontal shoot or rod-like body perpendicular to the main NW-trending shear zone - a common product of high-angle movement along such structures. Alternatively, narrower (< 5 m) intervals of shearing and quartz veining, locally containing anomalous gold values, were intercepted in hole MG005, ~80 m vertical distance below the MG003 saprolite interval. Additional drilling is needed to better understand the nature of high-grade gold mineralization at this target, however, these drill results extend the gold mineralized footprint at Maria Geralda to over 600 m, whilst anomalous results from recent surface geochemistry (auger) suggests the gold system extends more than double that to approximately 1.3 km, and the target retains considerable potential for future exploration work.

The 2025 program continues to demonstrate that Antino hosts multiple mineralizing centres across a regional structural framework with both high-grade shear zones and broad intrusion-hosted systems. All eight target areas drilled to date have returned significant gold mineralization. Gold mineralization at Antino occurs in several settings:

• Shear zones within folded metavolcanic-metasedimentary units (Froyo, Da Vinci, Van Gogh)
• Along intrusive contacts (Donut, Maria Geralda)
• Within high-strain zones internal to intrusive bodies (Parbo, Lower Antino, Buese)

The Company is currently preparing its 2026 exploration plan to incorporate drill-ready targets from the newly acquired expanded concession area and incoming high-resolution airborne geophysics and expanded regional geochemical surveys. An exploration and drilling plan for 2026 will be released early in the coming year along with additional pending drill assay results from Parbo, Da Vinci, Van Gogh, and Lower Antino.

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 56,000 hectares and has produced over 500,000 ounces of gold from historical surface and alluvial mining to date¹. The Company is systematically advancing one of Suriname's most promising gold exploration and development opportunities with drill-confirmed, district-scale potential. Founders is committed to responsible exploration, community engagement, and delivering long-term value to shareholders through technical excellence and strategic growth in the Guiana Shield.

¹2022 Technical Report - Antino Project; Suriname, South America. K. Raffle, BSc, P. Geo & Rock Lefrançois, BSc, P.Geo.

Qualified Persons

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Michael Dufresne, M.Sc., P.Geol., P.Geo., an independent qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

Quality Assurance and 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% passing 2.35 mm screen, riffle split (700 g) and pulverized to 85% passing 88 µm. Samples were analyzed using a 50 g fire assay (50 g aliquot) with an Atomic Absorption (AA) finish. For samples that return assay values over 5.0 grams per tonne (g/t), 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.

Figure 1: Antino Gold Project Property Map

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Figure 2: Parbo Plan Map

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Figure 3: Parbo Cross Section

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Figure 4: Parbo Drill Core

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Figure 5: Da Vinci Plan Map

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Figure 6: Maria Geralda Plan Map

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Table 1: Assay Results

* Intervals are down-hole depths. True widths of mineralization are estimated to be approximately 75-85% of the down-hole interval 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. Average widths are calculated using a 0.10 g/t gold cut-off grade with <5.0 m of internal dilution of zero grade, and a minimum composite length of 2.0 m. Intervals below 1.0 gram-metre or with average grade below 0.2 g/t Au are not reported.

Table 2: Upper Antino Drill Hole Locations

*The coordinate reference system is WGS 84, UTM zone 21N (EPSG 32621)

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, including statements regarding the use of proceeds from the Company's recently completed financings and the Company's prospects. Forward-looking information can generally be identified by words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", or variations indicating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" occur or be achieved.

Forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and reasonable assumptions but are subject to business, market, and economic risks, uncertainties, and contingencies that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied, including: general business and economic uncertainties; exploration results; mining industry risks; and other factors described in the Company's most recent annual management discussion and analysis. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, other factors may cause results not to be as anticipated. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

All material information on Founders Metals can be found at www.sedarplus.ca.

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