VC Spotlight: Version One Ventures
Version One Ventures doesn’t follow trends, they front-run them. Founded in 2012 by Boris Wertz, the Vancouver-based entrepreneur who built and sold a used-books marketplace to AbeBooks (later acquired by Amazon), the firm has mastered early conviction with precision timing. Boris Wertz holds a PhD in Business Economics from WHU and once served as a board partner at Andreessen Horowitz. In 2005, he earned Pacific Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year honors; in 2024, he was inducted into the BC Innovators Hall of Fame. That’s not luck, that’s pattern recognition refined by experience.
Beside him stands Angela Tran, General Partner, and the firm’s technical compass. An engineer-turned-VC with a PhD in Operations Research & Financial Engineering (University of Toronto), she co-founded Insight Data Science to connect academia and industry before turning her focus to frontier investing. Now based in SF, she leads deals in AI/ ML, deeptech, developer tools, climate, and enterprise SaaS. Supporting them is CFO Leah Gosbee, who joined in 2021 after leading finance ops at Pinnacle Fund Services. With CPA, CGA creds and a decade in PE/VC reporting, she keeps Version One’s back office as tight as its thesis.
Their philosophy is sharp enough to fit on a napkin: “We back mission-driven founders who are early in new areas.” Stage: pre-seed to Series A. Check size: $250K–$500K. Sectors: SaaS, fintech, crypto/ web3, climate, healthtech, hard tech, biotech. Geography: North America, globally aware. The key isn’t timing, it’s conviction. They don’t ask, “Why now?” They ask, “Why not?” That question has powered 100+ investments and 5 unicorns, 4 minted since 2020.
The proof? Uniswap. Coinbase. Ada. Jobber. Wattpad. Shippo. AngelList. Headout. Every name a signal that Version One saw the opportunity before it had a label. Their $2M seed in Coinbase became a Fund II-defining return. Uniswap reshaped decentralized finance. Ada reimagined customer service through AI. These aren’t bets, they’re blueprints for how conviction compounds.
Their track record reads like a timeline of future markets. 2012: vertical SaaS. 2016: crypto/web3. 2020: climate tech. 2025? AI-native products, VR/AR, next-gen blockchain, hardtech, biopharma. Version One’s radar doesn’t chase hype, it catches the frequency before it breaks the airwaves.
But money’s just the ignition. Version One fuels founders with go-to-market strategy, hiring insight, investor access, and founder-only forums that turn ambition into acceleration. It’s boutique conviction with institutional firepower, where mentorship scales alongside capital.
If you’re building something the world doesn’t yet have words for, Boris Wertz and Angela Tran want to talk. And if you’re hunting your next challenge, 100+ Version One portfolio cos are hiring across product, eng, and ops. Link in comments.
Coinbase — https://www.coinbase.com/careers/
Uniswap Labs — https://careers.uniswap.org/
Ada Support — https://ada.support/careers/
Jobber — https://www.jobber.com/careers/
Headout — https://www.headout.com/careers/
Follow this firm. Study their founders. Track their plays.
Let’s connect and keep the momentum going across the tech ecosystem. Whether you’re a founder shaping the future, a leader driving change, a VC backing bold ideas, or an investor spotting the next big thing, together, we’re pushing boundaries. Proud to be building the future with you.
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If engineering peace of mind is what you crave, Vention is your zen.