Founders Metals Completes Two-Year Environmental Baseline Assessment at Antino

• Most Recent Release (April 16, 2026): Founders Metals completed a comprehensive two-year environmental baseline assessment at the Antino Gold Project. The study covered four seasonal campaigns (July 2024 to November 2025) and established data foundations for future Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA).
• Compliance Standards: Fieldwork adhered to IFC Performance Standards, ensuring data acceptability for international funding sources.
• Scope: Ten sampling locations evaluated including aquatic ecosystems, terrestrial biodiversity, and quantification of historical mining impacts.
• Recent Context: This follows a significant week of catalysts: Gold Fields increased its stake by ~2% (April 8) via market purchase ($10.1M), and Antino North yielded high-grade drilling results (April 2).
• Historical Progression: The company has moved from land consolidation (Jan 2026) to strategic financing (Nov 2025) and now into advanced environmental permitting phases, signaling a transition toward feasibility.

• Rating Justification: Classified as Routine - Positive. While critical for project advancement, completing an environmental baseline is a standard regulatory milestone expected at this stage of exploration-to-development transition. It does not introduce new resource estimates or financing terms that would fundamentally alter valuation models immediately.
• Cumulative Effect: The news reinforces the timeline for EIA submission but must be viewed alongside the Gold Fields strategic buy (April 8) and Antino North discovery (April 2). These earlier releases were Material - Positive and likely priced into the recent stock rally to $5.06.
• Expectations: The market anticipated this data collection given the ongoing drilling program. The completion removes a potential regulatory delay risk but does not constitute a "game changer" in isolation compared to a resource estimate or major financing close.
• Risk Mitigation: Adherence to IFC standards reduces future funding rejection risks, which is positive for long-term capital raising but incremental for short-term price action.

• Company: Founders Metals Inc. (TSX-V: FDR, OTCQX: FDMIF).
• Flagship Project: Antino Gold Project, Suriname (Guiana Shield).
• Land Package: Consolidated 102,360 hectares as of January 2026, making it the largest publicly traded gold explorer in the region by land area.
• Project Status: Exploration/Development with multiple advanced targets (Upper Antino, Lower Antino) and emerging prospects (Antino North, Maria Geralda).
• Geology: Orogenic gold system hosted in shear zones within tonalite intrusions; comparable to Kirkland Lake and Ghana's Ashanti Belt.
• Historical Production: >500,000 oz of gold from historical surface/alluvial mining within the consolidated area.