<div id="readability-page-1"><article>Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 8, 2026) - Founders Metals Inc. (TSXV: FDR) (OTCQX: FDMIF) (FSE: 9DL0) (&#34;Founders&#34; or the &#34;Company&#34;) announces that Gold Fields Netherlands Services B.V. (&#34;Gold Fields&#34;), a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of Gold Fields Ltd, has increased its equity position in the Company 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 C$4.15 per share, for total consideration of approximately C$10.1 million. Following the transaction, Gold Fields beneficially owns 14,489,879 common shares of Founders, representing approximately 12.50% of the issued and outstanding common shares on a non-diluted basis, up from approximately 10.39% following the closing of Gold Fields' initial C$50 million strategic investment in November 2025.Colin Padget, President &amp; CEO, commented, &#34;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+ metre diamond drill program underway and multiple high-priority targets advancing across our 102,360-hectare land package, we are well-positioned to continue delivering value for all shareholders.&#34;Gold Fields' early warning report in connection with the transaction has been filed under Founders' profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.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 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.ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS,Per: &#34;Colin Padget&#34;Colin Padget President, Chief Executive Officer, and DirectorContact Information Katie MacKenzie, Vice President, Corporate Development Tel: +1 306 537 8903 | katiem@fdrmetals.comCautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking InformationThis press release contains &#34;forward-looking information&#34; within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, including statements regarding long term value creation and the Company's prospects. Forward-looking information can generally be identified by words such as &#34;plans&#34;, &#34;expects&#34;, &#34;is expected&#34;, &#34;budget&#34;, &#34;scheduled&#34;, &#34;estimates&#34;, &#34;forecasts&#34;, &#34;intends&#34;, &#34;anticipates&#34;, &#34;believes&#34;, or variations indicating that certain actions, events or results &#34;may&#34;, &#34;could&#34;, &#34;would&#34;, &#34;might&#34; or &#34;will&#34; 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: general business and economic uncertainties; exploration results; 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 www.sedarplus.ca.<img id="corporateNewsLogo" src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7574/291616_ec50f152344eda5d_logo.jpg?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="200" height="37" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7574/291616_ec50f152344eda5d_logo.jpg"/>To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/291616<img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://api.newsfilecorp.com/newsinfo/291616/375?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="1" height="1" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://api.newsfilecorp.com/newsinfo/291616/375"/></article></div>

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Founders Metals Inc. announced that Gold Fields Netherlands Services B.V. has increased its equity stake in the company by acquiring 2,441,686 common shares at approximately C$4.15 per share, totaling about C$10.1 million. This raises Gold Fields' ownership to 12.50% of Founders' shares. CEO Colin Padget highlighted this investment as a strong endorsement of their exploration strategy, particularly for the Antino Gold Project, which is supported by an extensive exploration program. Founders Metals is focused on responsible exploration in southeastern Suriname.

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Founders Metals Announces Increased Strategic Investment by Gold Fields | FDMIF Stock News