On the TechTO stage ×1
First seen on the TechTO stage in 2017. Every talk is searchable — ask the archive about Roy ↗
In their words
What I looked at was something that I knew a lot about, and that was online advertising. And I knew the problems. That is exactly what I did with Zoom. The takeaway is to look at something that you know a lot about and that's bothering you, that you see a void in.
We always think about Silicon Valley, but Toronto has some awesome talent.
The trajectory that we were going at was great, but it wasn't as good as the big players there. So we made a strategic decision to be acquired. This is something I tell a lot of entrepreneurs: if you can get that exit, the first exit, do it.
More from TechTO ×1
Around the web ×2
Quick answers
What is Roy Pereira building now?
Unified.to, a unified API that lets SaaS and AI companies ship integrations to their customers' tools without building each one. It raised $1.1 million CAD in pre-seed funding with co-founder Alexey Adamsky.
What happened to Zoom.ai?
The automated assistant he launched in 2016 narrowed to meeting scheduling, renamed itself CalendarHero, and was acquired by Saskatoon's Vendasta in October 2021.
What was Shiny Ads?
An online advertising company he ran from 2009 to 2014, acquired by Los Angeles-based Rubicon Project.