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Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 9, 2026) - Founders Metals Inc. (TSXV: FDR) (OTCQX: FDMIF) (FSE: 9DL0) ("Founders" or the "Company") announces drill results from the Upper Antino-West Zone ("West Zone") at its Antino Gold Project ("Antino" or the "Project") in southeastern Suriname (Figure 1). Hole FR251 returned 27.0 metres (m) of 20.38 grams per tonne (g/t) gold (Au) from 100.0 m, including 10.0 m of 43.26 g/t Au. The West Zone is located 1.2 kilometres (km) west of the established Froyo Zone and was first intersected by discovery hole FR217, approximately 50 m to the north, which returned 53.1 m of 1.21 g/t Au from surface (announced June 23, 2026; Figure 2).

Colin Padget, President & CEO, commented, "This ground has been part of Founders' land package for less than a year. Going from adding it to the project, to drilling 27.0 metres of 20.38 g/t gold in FR251, one of the best single intercepts in Antino's history, is a clear demonstration of the exploration potential of this district. That result came from a disciplined process: airborne geophysics, auger sampling and systematic follow-up of the resulting anomalies, the same approach we are applying across the rest of Antino."

West Zone Highlights

• High-grade gold at West Zone: 27.0 m of 20.38 g/t Au from 100.0 m in hole FR251, including 10.0 m of 43.26 g/t Au from 100.0 m (Figure 3).
• Additional gold-bearing shear zone intersected to the west of FR251: 14.0 m of 1.63 g/t Au from 119.0 m, including 2.0 m of 9.86 g/t Au (FR250).
• Gold mineralization style similar to the Upper Antino-Froyo Zone: gold is associated with the same alteration, veining, and structural style that hosts the high-grade mineralization in the Froyo Zone, including the recently announced 28.0 m of 14.27 g/t Au in drill hole FR249 (See August 6, 2026 news release).
• The West Zone is a priority target for the remainder of the 2026 drill program. Five holes were completed in this follow-up program; drilling is ongoing.

The West Zone lies 1.2 km west of the Froyo Zone, in ground that had not been drilled before May 2026. Discovery hole FR217 returned 53.1 m of 1.21 g/t Au, hosted in steeply dipping, northwest-trending structures similar in nature to the geological setting at Froyo. Today's results cover five follow-up diamond drill holes (FR240, FR242, FR243, FR250 and FR251) designed to better understand the nature of this mineralization and its potential strike extent. Gold mineralization at the West Zone is associated with quartz-carbonate veining and pervasive sericite alteration. Visual estimates from core logging indicate up to 10% pyrite and/or pyrrhotite as the dominant sulphides with locally minor occurrences of visible gold within the main gold-bearing intervals.

Transaction Update
The Company's previously announced acquisition of Nana Resources N.V.'s remaining 30% interest in Lawa Gold N.V. is proceeding as planned, with closing expected in the near term.

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

Figure 1: Antino Gold Project Property Map1

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1 Results shown in Figure 1 were previously disclosed by the Company in news releases dated August 24, 2023; July 22, 2024; September 24, 2024; November 7, 2024; December 11, 2024; February 20, 2025; April 23, 2025; June 23, 2025; June 24, 2025; December 11, 2025; January 22, 2026; April 2, 2026; April 30, 2026; June 23, 2026; July 15, 2026; and August 6, 2026, each available on the Company's website and under its profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

Figure 2: Upper Antino Plan Map

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Figure 3: West Zone Core Photos

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Table 1: West Zone Assay Results

Intervals are down-hole core lengths. All are diamond drill holes. True widths of mineralization are estimated to be approximately 80% of the down-hole interval based on currently available results and observations. 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. Widths are calculated using a 0.10 g/t gold cut-off grade with <5.0 m of internal dilution of zero grade material, and a minimum composite length of 2.0 m. Intervals below 3.0 gram-metre or averaging below 0.2 g/t Au are omitted. NSA means No Significant Assays.

Table 2: West Zone Drill Hole Locations

Coordinates are reported in WGS 84 / UTM Zone 21N.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS,

Per: "Colin Padget"

Colin Padget
President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director

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 10.0 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. Diamond drill core is HQ diameter through oxide intervals and predominantly NQ diameter in deeper drilling. All samples are half core, split using a diamond saw.

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.

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 Company's planned and ongoing drilling at the Upper Antino-West Zone and the balance of its 2026 drill program, the characterization of targets as priorities for future drilling, statements that mineralization remains open along strike and at depth, the Company's expectations as to the potential scale of the Upper Antino-West Zone, the acquisition of Nana Resources N.V.'s remaining 30% interest in Lawa Gold N.V., the geological interpretations described herein including the interpreted orientation and continuity of mineralized structures, expectations regarding true widths of mineralization, long term value creation 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: risks that the parties may not close the Transaction or Gold Fields Investment as announced on August 19, 2026 within anticipated timelines, or at all; general business and economic uncertainties; exploration results; the risk that additional drilling does not confirm the geological interpretations described herein; 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 http://www.sedarplus.ca.

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