On the TechTO stage ×1
First seen on the TechTO stage in 2020. Every talk is searchable — ask the archive about Isaac ↗
In their words
One thing you can do with VCs is this sort of soft sell — I'm not raising yet, let me tell you about my business, let's build a relationship. And that's actually, if you can pull that off, it can work pretty well.
We could not get there on valuation. But I would say deeper down, if you can't get there on valuation, there's something deeper where you're not there — because if you really want to get a deal done, it will work out.
It's not the real reason. Usually if the deal has momentum you will find a valuation that works for everybody.
More from TechTO ×1
Around the web ×2
Quick answers
What is Isaac Souweine known for?
Early-stage investing in Montreal. He spent six years as a partner at Real Ventures, where he ran the firm's $31 million Quebec pre-seed fund and worked through FounderFuel, then joined Pender Ventures in 2022 as a partner.
What does he say a failed valuation negotiation really means?
That the partnership was not ready. He told TechTO that valuation is the stated reason a deal dies but rarely the real one — when a deal has momentum, both sides find a number, so a stalemate is usually a sign the relationship was not there yet.
What is he doing now?
Advising the Venture Scientist fund, a $100 million CAD vehicle Mila and Inovia launched in January 2026 to commercialise Canadian AI research. His own site describes him as building an AI fund in partnership with Inovia and Canada's research institutes.