Founders Metals Hits 27.0 m of 20.38 g/t Gold in First Step-Out Drilling on New West Zone at Antino

Founders Metals Inc. (FDR) has released assay results for the first five follow-up diamond drill holes at the Upper Antino-West Zone, located 1.2 km west of the Froyo Zone at Antino, Suriname.

Highlight hole FR251 returned 27.0 m at 20.38 g/t Au from 100.0 m, including 10.0 m at 43.26 g/t Au from 100.0 m. The hole also returned lower-grade intervals: - 17.10 m at 0.38 g/t from surface - 6.0 m at 1.22 g/t from 137 m - 26.0 m at 0.46 g/t from 183 m

Hole FR250 returned 14.0 m at 1.63 g/t Au from 119 m, including 2.0 m at 9.86 g/t, plus 7.0 m at 0.47 g/t from 174 m. Hole FR242 returned 13.0 m at 0.45 g/t Au from 91 m, while FR243 and FR240 returned no significant assays.

The West Zone was first intersected by discovery hole FR217, roughly 50 m north of FR251, which previously returned 53.1 m at 1.21 g/t Au from surface.

The release also notes the acquisition of Nana Resources N.V.'s remaining 30% of Lawa Gold N.V. is proceeding toward closing.

Founders Metals Inc. (FDR) released pre-resource exploration results that do not constitute infill or production data. For a pre-resource explorer, a high-grade discovery or major step-out is considered material if it alters the perceived scale or grade of the deposit. The West Zone anchor result, FR217, returned 53.1 meters of 1.21 g/t Au from surface, equating to 64 gram-metres, which was not a high-grade anchor.

The broader market expectation has already shifted substantially since late July. The stock rose from approximately C$3.96 on July 31 to a high of C$6.45 on August 26. This movement was driven by the August 6 FR249 Upper Antino result of 28.0 meters at 14.27 g/t Au and the August 19 Gold Fields/Nana 100% ownership transaction.

FR251 gram-metres exceed the recent FR249 Upper Antino anchor on a down-hole basis. On an estimated true-width basis, FR251 is also stronger in grade and total metal. The delta versus the embedded anchor is positive in substance, featuring higher grade and larger true-width-adjusted gram-metres.

However, the other four step-out results are weak, comprising two blanks, one low-grade interval, and one narrow high-grade interval. This indicates that the results do not yet confirm a large continuous high-grade system. Against a basic market capitalization near C$689 million and a pro forma post-closing capitalization near C$855 million, the price already assumes significant exploration success. This result supports that assumption but does not yet transform it further because continuity is unresolved. The new findings are meaningful and better in grade-and-width substance than the previous anchor, but they do not yet constitute a confirmed district-changing discovery.

Founders Metals Inc. (FDR) is a Canadian gold exploration company advancing the Antino Gold Project in southeastern Suriname. The company holds a land package of 102,360 contiguous hectares in the Guiana Shield, described as the largest uninterrupted package of prospective greenstone belt geology in the region. The project is currently in the advanced exploration stage, and no mineral resource or reserve estimate has been completed.

Key targets within the project include Upper Antino, Froyo, West Zone, Lower Antino, Antino North, Antino Northeast, Maria Geralda, Parbo, Da Vinci, and Van Gogh. The company has secured strategic backing from Gold Fields, which has been increasing its stake. An agreement is in place for Gold Fields to hold approximately 19.9% post-closing alongside the Nana 30% Lawa Gold acquisition.

As of May 31, 2026, the company reported cash of C$33.54 million and working capital of about C$25.73 million, with no reported debt. Founders Metals Inc. is not a producer and has no revenue; future funding will be required to advance Antino toward feasibility and production.