Forum Ventures

AI is taking over the enterprise world… but can we actually trust it? ?? Forum Venture Studio Founder Kevin Wu, CEO of Pegasi AI, was featured in VKTR.com alongside our General Partner Jonah Midanik, diving deep into one of the biggest challenges in AI adoption: hallucinations and trust in generative AI. With 88% of enterprises actively monitoring AI’s evolution, the appetite for GenAI is undeniable. But accuracy, compliance, and security risks are real hurdles. Pegasi AI is tackling these challenges head-on, ensuring AI isn't just innovative—but reliable and enterprise-ready. As Jonah put it: ?? “AI mistakes aren’t just theoretical—they’re expensive. Whether it’s decision-making errors, productivity losses, compliance failures, customer trust issues, or security vulnerabilities, businesses need to be acutely aware of these risks before integrating LLMs into critical workflows.” Kevin Wu added: ?? “Think of a large language model like a global game of ‘telephone’ played by thousands of management consultants at hyperspeed—each adding their own spin. This is how LLMs process information. Without proper governance and fact-checking, inaccuracies are inevitable.” At Forum Ventures, we believe the next generation of AI startups will be the ones solving these enterprise trust issues at scale—and we’re backing founders like Kevin who are leading that charge. Read the full VKTR article here: https://lnkd.in/e9NQDphk

More capital. More connections. More women leading in B2B SaaS. At Forum Ventures, we’re on a mission to back more underrepresented founders and fuel the next wave of female-led innovation in B2B SaaS. That’s why we’re teaming up with MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund —both named top pre-seed investors in Canada in the CVCA’s Q4 VC Report—to bring more capital and community to women-led startups. Join us in Toronto for a Women’s VC/Founder Coffee Meetup! ??? ?? Trinity Bellwoods, Toronto ?? March 26th | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT This is a chance to build genuine relationships, share insights, and create funding opportunities for women in early-stage B2B SaaS. If you’re a female/ non-binary founder or investor championing women-led startups, this one’s for you. Let’s build together. RSVP now! ???https://lu.ma/76fbw6g1

Some of the best startup conversations happen over coffee. ? Forum Ventures (Bocar Dia + Sarah Gowe) is hosting a small coffee meetup in Vancouver for early-stage B2B SaaS founders and investors. No agenda, just a chance to connect with others who are building, funding, and figuring it all out. ?? Location: Mt Pleasant ?? Date & Time: Friday, March 21 at 10AM ?? Register here: https://lu.ma/0z4irezr We’re keeping this intimate to ensure real conversations—not just surface-level networking. If this sounds like your kind of morning, we’d love to see you there. #B2BSaaS #Vancouver #Founders #Investors

This International Women’s Day (tomorrow), we’re shining a light on the incredible female founders and investors pushing boundaries in venture capital—because change requires action, not just conversation. ?? Did you know? Female founders have raised just 2% of VC funding over the past two years. Despite their resilience, vision, and innovation, systemic barriers persist. At Forum Ventures, we’re committed to backing more women in tech and amplifying the voices that are shaping the future. So, we asked: ? Founders: Who has inspired your journey? What advice would you give to other female founders fundraising today? We heard from Amanda Greenberg (Balloon), Tooba Durraze, Ph.D. (Amoeba AI) Natalie Duncan (Bug Mars), Gordana Ilic, PhD (BetterSea), Kathy Leake (Soteria), and Mariel Reed (Pavilion)—women leading the way in AI, SaaS, beauty, supply chain, and beyond. ?? Investors: How can the VC ecosystem better support women raising capital? We heard from Annie Long (DMZ), Stephanie Campbell & Diana Murakhovskaya (The Artemis Fund ), Lia Tavarez (HearstLab) and Naomi Goez (Forum Ventures), who shared real strategies for driving change at the investment level. Their responses highlight not only the challenges women face but, also the solutions we can all champion to build a more equitable and inclusive startup ecosystem. This isn’t just about women supporting women—we need male allies to step up, challenge biases, and advocate for equal opportunities. Progress happens when we all commit to action. Read the full blog here ?? https://lnkd.in/eFMeV_Qc #IWD2025??#AccelerateAction

?? SF founders & investors—this one’s for you! On Wednesday, March 12th, at 10 AM PDT, Sruthi S. from Forum Ventures & Kristina Chapple from 11 Tribes Ventures are hosting a meetup to bring together pre-Series B founders and investors for high-value networking. ?? No panels. No pitches. Just real connections. ?? Location shared upon approval ? Limited spots—don’t miss it! RSVP link is in the comments and grab your spot before it fills up ?? #B2BSaaS #Founders #Investors #SanFrancisco #VentureCapital #TechNetworking

"My company has 90 days to live." That’s what Kevin Corliss, one of our MDs at Forum Ventures, thought back in 2018 when his startup was running out of cash. He even bought a domain—failingfounders.com—thinking if he was going down, he’d at least blog about it. Fast forward three years, that same company had bootstrapped to millions in revenue and sold to Deel. The biggest lesson? If your company is running out of time, sometimes shutting it down is the right move. But if you’re still seeing positive signals—even small ones—you might be closer than you think. Progress and failure feel the same in real-time. When you’re in it, it’s almost impossible to tell whether you’re actually failing or just grinding through to your next breakthrough. In the latest edition of The Midnight Text, Kevin shares: ?? How to navigate the panic when the runway is short ?? The key signals that show your company still has life ?? What investors care about most when time is running out ?? How to raise under pressure—or decide when it’s time to shut it down If you're staring down the reality of 90 days of cash—or know a founder who is—this one's a must-read. ?? Link in the comments below

Last night at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP in Toronto, we hosted a powerful discussion on how Canadian founders can break into the U.S. market. ?????????? Maggie Bolt (Forum Ventures) led the conversation with Zach Johnston (2048 VC), David B. (Mucker Capital), Ibrahim Ashqar (Lumi AI), and Victoria Leon (Hyde Park Venture Partners). ?? Top Takeaways: ? Think global, not just Canada – U.S. VCs back companies with global potential. Canadian founders should avoid positioning themselves as the "X for Canada." Investors want companies that can scale globally and compete on the world stage. ? Network early & often – Relationships drive U.S. fundraising success. While remote fundraising is possible, a U.S. presence (especially in key tech hubs) significantly increases credibility and access to capital. Warm introductions and a strong network are crucial. ? Delaware C-Corp? Maybe not Flipping to a Delaware C-Corp isn’t always necessary. Maintaining CCPC status can offer tax and grant advantages—so understand the trade-offs before making the move. ? U.S. traction matters – Investors prioritize product, team & traction. Economic shifts have made investors more selective. Canadian founders should refine their pitch to emphasize these three core pillars: ?? A compelling product solving a real problem ?? A team with strong execution capabilities ?? Demonstrable traction (U.S. customers are a huge plus!) ? Keep everything in USD – It simplifies cross-border fundraising. Thank you to our panellists and everyone who joined! Let’s keep building bridges. ????

We’re bringing the Forum Ventures community together for casual, founder-focused coffee meetups across four cities. These are great opportunities to meet other early-stage SaaS founders, exchange insights, and build relationships with fellow builders. ? Here’s where we’re meeting: ?? San Francisco – Wednesday, March 12th A female-focused meetup with Sruthi S. and Daniela Pico from Forum, and Kristina Chapple from 11 Tribes Ventures. ?? New York City – Friday, March 14th With Olivia O'Sullivan from Forum and Daniel Tarlas from Mangusta Capital ?? Vancouver – Friday, March 21st With Bocar Dia and Sarah Gowe from Forum and GTMfund ?? Toronto – Wednesday, March 26th With Jonah Midanik and Maggie Bolt from Forum and Jillian Malcolm from MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund If you’re a B2B SaaS founder (or a VC who supports them), join us! Let’s talk shop, swap stories, and caffeinate together.

Big thank you to?Allyson Letteri?for joining our founders to break down how startups can use content to fuel sales and marketing momentum! Some of our key take aways from the session are: ?? Content = Scalable Sales Support?– Founder-led sales won’t scale, but the right content can keep the momentum going, open new doors, and empower sales teams. ? The Right Content at the Right Time?– Allyson outlined five key phases of the customer journey—Acquisition, Nurture, Convert, Onboard, Engage—and shared what content works best at each stage. ?? Repurpose to Maximize Reach?– Every piece of content should be repurposed at least?10 different ways?across owned, earned, social, and paid channels. ? How to?Stand Out in a Crowded Market?– Startups can differentiate by excelling in one of four areas: customer segment, use case, unique benefit, or user experience. To access these founder sessions and learn from more industry experts, Pitch us here: https://lnkd.in/gM_xUNSD

AI is reshaping industries, but building a great AI product isn’t just about the model—it’s about designing for real-world impact. ?? At Forum Ventures, we work with early-stage founders building AI-first companies, and we’ve seen firsthand what separates AI products that scale from those that don’t. ?? So, what’s the secret? Teija Bean breaks down the best AI products follow three core design principles: ? Solve for the end user, not the algorithm – AI should enhance workflows, not complicate them. ? Design for trust and transparency – Users need to understand and trust AI-driven decisions. ? Make iteration easy – AI models evolve, and your UX should, too. In our latest blog, we break down how to apply these principles to build AI products that drive adoption, create value, and scale. ?? Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eiRWYM9a