Mr. Colin Padget reports

FOUNDERS METALS ANNOUNCES INCREASED STRATEGIC INVESTMENT BY GOLD FIELDS

Gold Fields Netherlands Services BV, a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of Gold Fields Ltd., has increased its equity position in Founders Metals Inc. through market purchases.

On April 6, 2026, Gold Fields acquired 2,441,686 common shares of the company at a weighted-average price of approximately $4.15 per share, for total consideration of approximately $10.1-million. Following the transaction, Gold Fields beneficially owns 14,489,879 common shares of Founders, representing approximately 12.50 per cent of the issued and outstanding common shares on a non-diluted basis, up from approximately 10.39 per cent following the closing of Gold Fields' initial $50-million strategic investment in November, 2025.

Colin Padget, president and chief executive officer, commented: "Gold Fields' decision to meaningfully increase their ownership in Founders through market purchases is a strong endorsement of our exploration strategy and the district-scale potential of the Antino gold project. With an aggressive surface exploration and 70,000-plus-metre diamond drill program under way and multiple high-priority targets advancing across our 102,360-hectare land package, we are well positioned to continue delivering value for all shareholders."

Gold Fields' early warning report in connection with the transaction has been filed under Founders' profile on SEDAR+.

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.

We seek Safe Harbor.