One of the reasons TechTO exists is to help more Canadian founders get discovered, supported and funded earlier.

So today’s news is personal.

N49P, the pre-seed fund co-founded by me, has completed a first close of $25M USD for Fund IV and is raising toward a $70M USD fund to back Canadian founders at the earliest stages.

Over the last eight years, we have backed 90+ startups, including companies like EvenUp, Spellbook, Appetronix and Quandri. We often back teams who were not obvious to the market at first, but who had the ambition and insight to build something much larger over time.

That matters because some of the best companies do not look obvious in the beginning.

They often need early believers before the metrics are easy to understand, before the category is hot and before the rest of the market catches up.

That is the role N49P is trying to play with Fund IV.

The new fund is led by me, Omar Dhalla, Doug Penick and Prem Kalevar, and has already made its first investments, including in Toronto-based cybersecurity platform NexRisx.

For me, this is also connected to the work we do at TechTO.

TechTO has always been about helping founders, operators, investors and community members connect earlier. N49P is one way that work continues beyond the stage, the newsletter and the events.

If you want to learn more, you can read this post on LinkedIn.

And if you want to find catch up in person, I will be around next week during Toronto Tech Week at several TechTO events.

The capital conversations most founders never get access to.

Seven investors. One day. The kind of conversations that usually happen behind closed doors in San Francisco, happening at SRIC on Wednesday.

🎙 The Silicon Valley Playbook For Canadian Founders · 9:00AM

Most founders who pitch US investors never hear the real reason it didn't work. Wednesday morning, three of them will tell you exactly what they look for, and what quietly kills a pitch before it starts.

TX Zhuo (Fika Ventures), Jason Gray (Pioneer Fund) and Andre Charoo (Maple VC), have backed founders across North America at the earliest stages. They'll tell you what separates the Canadian founders who break through from the ones who don't, the positioning, the timing, the signals that matter and the ones that don't.

🛍 People First, Product Second: A Consumer Deep Dive with Maveron · 1:00PM

The best consumer companies were obvious in hindsight. Nobody saw them coming. Jason Stoffer has been finding those companies at Maveron for 18 years - eBay, Zulily ($2.4B exit), Flywire (IPO)- before anyone else called it.

Michele Romanow watched founders trade their most expensive asset to fund predictable returns and built a $5B alternative instead. Tyler Handley co-founded one of Canada's fastest-growing DTC brands, exited, and is now backing the next wave of Canadian consumer founders as an angel investor while building again from scratch.

💬 Beyond the Bubble: An Intimate Chat with Will Hsu and Alex Norman · 4:00PM

Will Hsu doesn't do the speaking circuit. He backed Honey before PayPal paid $4B for it. ServiceTitan before the $9B Nasdaq IPO. AuditBoard before the $3B acquisition. He saw all three coming before almost anyone else did.

Wednesday at 4pm he sits down with Alex Norman for a small, candid conversation about what he looks for before the traction is obvious, and why where you're building is an advantage, not an apology. Seats are limited.

Then everyone moves to Bobby Bermuda's Sunset Bar.

The TechTO Summer Social, powered by Wealthsimple, closes the day at one of Toronto's best outdoor venues. The conversations that started at SRIC continue here, just with more drinks, food and a sunset.

Monday you're at TiEQuest Summit. Wednesday you're here. Don't buy them separately.

🎟 TiEQuest Summit + Summer Social → $90

🏓 Convictional Presents: The Alignment Open

Convictional is throwing a bracket-style table tennis tournament and executive mixer at One King West during TTW - curated guest list, wood-panelled walls, drinks, canapés, and the kind of conversation that doesn't happen at panels. Think Wes Anderson directs a founder soirée.

🗓️ TechTO Hackathon: Sunday, May 24 @ 9:00am - EVENT PAGE

🗓️ TiEQuest Summit 2026: Monday, May 25 @ 8:30am - GET TICKETS

🗓️ The Growth Table: Monday, May 25 @ 6:00pm - APPLY NOW

🗓️ Boast Funding Stage: Tuesday, May 26 @ 8:30am - REQUEST TO JOIN

🗓️Beyond the Trade - A New Era for Canadian Fintech with Questrade: Tuesday, May 26 @ 4:30pm - REQUEST TO JOIN

🗓️ The Silicon Valley Playbook for Canadian Founders: Wednesday, May 27 @ 9:00am - REQUEST TO JOIN

🗓️ People First, Product Second: A Consumer Deep Dive with Maveron: Wednesday, May 27 @ 1:00pm - REQUEST TO JOIN

🗓️ Beyond the Bubble: An Intimate Chat with Will Hsu and Alex Norman: Wednesday, May 27 @ 4:00pm - REQUEST TO JOIN

🗓️ TechTO Summer Social: Wednesday, May 27 @ 6:00pm - GET TICKETS

🗓️ Market Overview: Fintech, co-hosted with Affirm: Thursday, May 28 @ 9:00am - REQUEST TO JOIN

🗓️ Market Overview: Insurtech: Thursday, May 28 @ 1:00pm - REQUEST TO JOIN

🗓️ The Quiet Part Out Loud: A RevOps Dinner: Thursday, May 28 @ 6:00pm - REQUEST TO JOIN

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