Version One Ventures

Boris Wertz, the Founding Partner, drives all investment decisions. He operates the firm as a concentrated single-GP vehicle, not a distributed partnership. Before launching Version One in 2012, Wertz co-founded and sold AbeBooks to Amazon in 2008, then built one of Canada's largest angel portfolios. His public commentary suggests he has no near-term plans to add decision-making partners.

Wertz sources primarily through founder referrals, his extensive angel network, and his long-running public blog on venture and marketplace dynamics. The firm's Vancouver base creates a geographic advantage in filtering Canadian and Pacific Northwest founders before they compete for Bay Area capital. Portfolio founders and his operating experience at AbeBooks provide additional warm introduction channels.

Version One is a structured venture capital firm, not a managed account or angel syndicate. It raises committed capital from external limited partners, though specific fund sizes are undisclosed. The firm writes initial checks ranging from a few hundred thousand to approximately $2 million, with disciplined reserves for follow-on rounds through Series A and B.

The firm concentrates on pre-seed and seed stages, occasionally participating in Series A rounds for existing portfolio companies. Wertz has stated publicly that he wants to be the first institutional check, often backing founders with a product and some early traction but before they raise a priced round. Later-stage growth equity is not part of the mandate.

Version One is a direct-only investor. Wertz has not publicly indicated any fund-of-funds activity or LP commitments to other venture managers. The firm's entire operation is built around direct seed-stage equity positions in operating companies.

Persistent focus areas include enterprise SaaS, fintech infrastructure, and marketplace businesses. The firm's portfolio confirms these priorities: Dapper Labs (blockchain-based consumer platforms), Ada Support (AI customer service software), and Joonko (enterprise hiring tools) are representative. Wertz's operating background at AbeBooks, an online marketplace, informs the marketplace thesis.

Wertz co-owns the Vancouver Whitecaps FC professional soccer club alongside other investors. He also maintains personal angel investments, but those sit outside the Version One Ventures fund structure and are managed independently. No affiliated philanthropic foundation or real-asset arm is publicly associated with him or the firm.