On the TechTO stage ×1
First seen on the TechTO stage in 2020. Every talk is searchable — ask the archive about Boris ↗
In their words
We introduced you to like five or six angels and everybody passed, and nobody wanted to take the remaining hundred thousand. So we said, okay, screw everybody else, we'll take the whole amount.
We're usually connecting with our founders at least on a bi-weekly basis around what was top of their mind, what the challenges are, how we can help.
That's a gradual process of just adjusting expectations and learning how the product works or doesn't.
More from TechTO ×1
Around the web ×1
Quick answers
What is Boris Wertz known for?
Running Version One Ventures, a two-partner seed firm out of Vancouver that has been among Canada's most consistent early-stage investors. He led the pre-seed into Ada and backed Coinbase in two private rounds before its 2021 direct listing.
What happened when nobody would join Ada's first round?
Version One took all of it. Wertz told TechTO the plan was to put in $400,000 of a $500,000 pre-seed and fill the rest with angels, but the five or six angels introduced to the company all passed — so the firm wrote the whole cheque itself.
How does he work with founders?
Close and often. He described connecting with founders at least every two weeks about what is top of mind, which is why the decision to wind down the company's first product was, in his words, a gradual adjustment of expectations rather than a shock.