Mr. Colin Padget reports

FOUNDERS METALS COMPLETES TWO-YEAR ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE ASSESSMENT AT ANTINO

Founders Metals Inc. has completed a comprehensive two-year environmental baseline assessment at its Antino gold project in southeastern Suriname. The study, conducted by Caribbean Environmental Risk Solutions, spanned four seasonal campaigns from July, 2024, to November, 2025 -- covering two wet seasons and two dry seasons -- and represents the first environmental baseline study at the Antino project area. Environmental baseline data are a prerequisite for environmental impact assessment and project feasibility work, and their early completion positions the company to advance these longer-lead-time studies in parallel with its continuing exploration program.

Colin Padget, president and chief executive officer, commented: "Environmental baseline data is one of the longest-lead-time items required to advance a project toward development, and completing this work now keeps us well ahead of the curve. The data collected over these four seasonal campaigns provides us with the evidence base required to design future development plans in a manner that meets international environmental standards. It also positions us to move directly into environmental impact assessment and feasibility work when the time comes to advance the project toward production."

Highlights:

• First ever environmental baseline at Antino: No previous operator conducted environmental baseline studies at the project area despite exploration activity dating back to early 1990s. The completed study fills this critical data gap and establishes the evidential foundation required for future environmental impact assessment and project feasibility work.
• International standards compliance: All fieldwork was conducted in accordance with IFC Performance Standards and the Convention on Biological Diversity, providing a data set acceptable to potential future international funding sources.
• Comprehensive four-season data set: The study integrated aquatic ecosystem assessments (water quality, sediment quality, fish communities, benthic macrofauna, periphyton and environmental DNA) with terrestrial biodiversity evaluations (mammals, birds and botany) across 10 sampling locations and four seasonal campaigns.
• Pre-existing environmental impacts documented: The study identified and quantified pre-existing environmental impacts attributable to decades of small-scale mining activity, including habitat fragmentation and alteration of stream systems. These impacts predate Founders' involvement and provide essential context for future environmental management and rehabilitation planning.
• Positions company for future development studies: Completion of the baseline assessment is a prerequisite for environmental impact assessment and feasibility studies. Having this work substantially complete at the exploration stage allows Founders to advance these longer-lead-time work streams in parallel with its continuing drill program as the company works toward a maiden mineral resource estimate.

Study overview

The baseline assessment was designed and executed by CARI-ERS Suriname NV, an independent environmental consultancy, across 10 sampling locations within the Antino project area. Fieldwork covered four seasonal campaigns (wet season 2024, dry season 2024, wet season 2025 and dry season 2025) and was conducted in accordance with IFC Performance Standards and the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Next steps

Founders intends to continue baseline monitoring at a minimum of twice per year to further strengthen the data set in parallel with its continuing exploration activities at Antino. The company will use the data to inform future environmental impact assessment and project feasibility studies as the project continues to advance.

About Founders Metals Inc.

Founders Metals 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 backed by strategic partnerships with Gold Fields and B2Gold, and is executing one of the most active exploration programs in the global junior gold sector. The company is committed to responsible exploration, strong community engagement and disciplined capital allocation as it advances Suriname's next major gold camp.

Qualified person

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

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