Entrepreneur's Broken Promise: How Our Startup Dreams Were Dashed by False Promises

Previous customers of a tech startup founder from Canada claim they felt disappointed as they handed over tens of thousands of dollars to his firm with the expectation of launching their own startups, but their expectations were not met.

Individuals around the globe—from Scotland to the southern regions of the United States—have reported paying Josh Adler’s software firm, ConvrtX, as much as $245,000 (£184,000), yet failed to get the anticipated websites and applications they were promised.

We talked to over 20 previous staff members and clients who claim that Mr. Adler kept selling services and requested additional funds even though he failed to deliver all the items customers had paid for multiple times.

In a correspondence to the entity, Mr. Adler’s legal representatives assert that the accusations are unfounded and have been provoked by a single ex-client whom they are currently litigating against.

They also mention that even though Mr. Adler lacked experience when he started his venture at the age of 21, his enterprise quickly achieved significant success, and "most customers were satisfied with the services provided."

Introduced in 2019, ConvrtX positions itself as a "globally leading venture studio" that has assisted over 700 budding entrepreneurs in launching their businesses through crafting business strategies, preparing investment pitches for prospective backers, and designing personalized websites and applications.

When pitching to potential customers, the firm asserts that it boasts a five-star customer satisfaction rating. Additionally, they mention having 70 employees globally and operating out of locations in the UK, US, and Canada. Mr. Adler manages the business from Dubai.

According to leaked internal papers, ConvRTx claimed over $5 million (£3.8 million) in sales from more than 280 clients just between 2019 and 2023. However, high-level sources indicate that successful outcomes were quite rare during this period.

Our investigation found:

• Customers who claim they used up all their lifetime savings but did not get a functional product — they mentioned that they were sent items from ConvrtX that either failed to operate correctly or did not correspond with what they had purchased.
• Customers who faced legal or financial intimidation following their complaints, such as a woman who received improper, flirtatious messages from an attorney representing the company.
• Fabricated positive website reviews - including one from a supposed complainant who actually asked for a refund of $18,000 (£13,600).
• ConvrtX claimed on its previously active website that it had received coverage from Forbes Magazine and maintained a partnership with Harvard Business Review. However, these claims were refuted by both publications.

In reply, Mr. Adler’s attorneys state that ConvrtX had received roughly 12 to 15 complaints from around 340 clients. They also mention that following the occurrence of the sexually inappropriate emails, the firm promptly ended its contractual relationship with the lawyer.

Amy, who is a 37-year-old single mom from the UK, says she was deceived after spending $53,000 (£40,000) in 2021 on a website and an application for her nonprofit organization. The group’s mission is to connect individuals facing fertility challenges with prospective surrogate mothers.

She claims she was led on for two years, never getting a functional app despite having only received a simple website, as Mr. Adler kept requesting additional funding.

Amy was notably irritated by a message she claims Mr. Adler sent her, which included an image of him enjoying New Year's Eve on a tropical Balinese beach in Bali.

"Why do you feel the need to show off your wealth to me? That’s embarrassing," remarks Amy, who financed the project by refinancing her house and utilizing credit cards.

In the end, she sought a refund via her bank and lodged a complaint with the UK's Financial Ombudsman Service. According to documents reviewed by , a senior investigator from the service has tentatively suggested that the bank should repay £30,000 ($39,000) to Amy. However, she is currently awaiting confirmation from her bank accepting this suggestion.

During the evaluation phase, two seasoned software engineers examined the application created by ConvrtX. The lead researcher stated that the findings backed up Amy’s assertion that the firm had violated their agreement by not delivering the service she had paid for.

"The investigator stated that it’s reasonable to conclude ConvrtX did not demonstrate adequate care and competence in delivering their services. It appears that the work done by ConvrtX is beyond repair, and an entirely new process would have to be initiated should [Amy] desire a functional application.”

As a reply, attorneys representing Mr. Adler state that their client was provided with "a website, a functional prototype, and a completely developed mobile application" from ConvrtX."

According to former senior employees, Josh Adler—who is the offspring of Kerry Adler, a prominent Canadian business magnate—oversaw an environment marked by volatility. This led to frequent changes in personnel and mistakes arising from “taking shortcuts” as well as appointing and dismissing unseasoned subcontractors.

In his Facebook profile, Mr. Adler tagged himself with #YoungAndReckless and #LivingTheDream. Upon speaking with several ex-employees, we found out he was characterized as immature and an ineffective leader.

During corporate gatherings, people claim he would boast about residing at the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Abu Dhabi, brag about leasing a villa in Bali, and flaunt his recently acquired Porsche 911 along with several speeding tickets.

According to a former senior employee who wishes to remain anonymous, he was preoccupied with maintaining a "luxurious, affluent lifestyle filled with flashy possessions." The same source also notes that having so many dissatisfied customers cannot simply be attributed to chance.

Mr Adler's lawyers describe him as "highly ambitious" and say he sought to build a world-leading business, but that not all staff lived up to his high standards and would be "let go" if they under-delivered. "Young and Reckless" is a clothing brand he likes, they add.

However, multiple former high-ranking employees informed us that they harbored reservations regarding Mr. Adler’s management of his firm. These individuals mentioned that despite receiving warnings that certain projects or applications were either impractical or outright unfeasible, he persisted in attracting new customers. According to these sources, Mr. Adler would demand upfront payments from clients, with amounts reaching up to $53,000 (£40,000). It was noted that the company operated under a strict nonrefundable policy for such transactions.

When two former high-ranking employees reported that Mr. Adler was notified about certain applications malfunctioning, he allegedly told clients—contrary to the recommendations of his development team—that he could resolve the issue for them either by requesting additional payment or settling an overdue amount.

"One former employee remembers Mr. Adler often instructing them not to inform the client that it’s impossible, stating instead that 'we’ll locate a contractor who can handle it once they’ve made the payment,'” adds another source. “While he excels as a speaker and in sales, his tendency to make numerous unfounded promises has been noted.”

A previous client named DeShawn Womack claims he experienced being "deceived" when he engaged ConvrtX in 2021. According to him, he spent over $50,000 (£37,750) for a mobile application designed to let individuals retrieve their phone along with all of its information from another gadget should the original one be misplaced, taken, or destroyed.

He mentions that he got a design prototype, yet not a completed functional application.

Following two years of payments, Mr. Womack—a truck driver based in the U.S. state of Georgia—contacted a high-ranking ConvrtX employee via message seeking clarification on whether his application could synchronize missed calls and voice messages. Additionally, he inquired if the platform supported making phone calls from another device while retaining the same number—an individual feature that Mr. Adler reportedly informed him was available and mentioned within his agreement with ConvrtX.

"It’s unfeasible, your application could have never been achievable from the beginning,” the employee replied in texts viewed by the publication. “Was anyone under the impression that this was doable?”

Mr. Womack responded, "Indeed, Josh [Adler] took care of it, and furthermore, it's included in my project approval document."

The individual, aged 40 and claiming to have invested all of his lifetime savings into the initiative, stated that he ceased making further installments when he felt convinced his application was not receiving adequate attention or proper development work.

"He [Josh Adler] sold me a dream, and I find this very frustrating," he states.

Attorneys representing Mr. Adler state that he refutes accusations of misleading clients regarding the viability of their concepts when such notions were unfounded. According to them, ConvrtX consistently communicated the challenges involved in app development; however, should a client choose to move forward with a project, the company typically accepted it.

Gemma Martin from Dundee, who operates a tarot card reading enterprise, states that ConvrtX did not fulfill their promises after she paid over $35,000 (£26,000). The services included developing an operational interactive website and a mobile application designed to enable customers to book readings and sign up for her offerings.

Following her publication of critical reviews online, the 33-year-old claims that ConvrtX would only release her website if she agreed to sign a non-disclosure agreement prohibiting her from speaking negatively about the company—a condition she rejected.

Emails reviewed by the publication revealed that a company attorney made sexually inappropriate comments to Ms. Martin when attempting to settle the disagreement. The lawyer mentioned having looked her up online and noted that her "professional profile" did not align with "[her] attractiveness."

Attorneys representing ConvRTx claim that the emails were dispatched by a part-time external consultant who was promptly dismissed when Mr. Adler, who likewise apologized to Ms. Martin, became aware of the situation.

Ms. Martin indicates that she was provided with a business plan from ConvrtX along with initial source code for her site and application; however, she mentions that they proved to be non-functional and lacking completeness.

Attorneys representing ConvertX assert that they provided Ms. Martin with a fully developed mobile application along with the corresponding source code, even though she did not fulfill her outstanding payment obligations. In response, the firm has initiated legal proceedings against her for defamation, an allegation she is currently challenging.

Steven Marshall, aged 53, mentions that ConvRTx threatened him with legal action after he requested a complete refund. He expressed being "extremely disillusioned" with the services he paid $5,183 (£3,920) for, which were meant to support his venture aiding independent film creators.

The documents reviewed by the revealed that ConvRTX's compliance officer informed Mr. Marshall via email that if he were to publicly disseminate his "unfounded accusations," it would constitute both criminal and civil defamation, and the firm would pursue a "criminal indictment" against him.

The compliance officer mentioned that Mr. Marshall had essentially waived his ability to publish unfavorable online reviews about ConvrtX due to a nondisclosure agreement he had signed before beginning the work.

Previous clients report encountering similar intimidation tactics. For instance, Ayesha Imran stated that she asked for a reimbursement of $18,000 (£13,500) when she didn’t get an app and a privacy policy for her site after engaging ConvrtX’s services in 2021.

In March 2023, she brought her concerns to Mr. Adler, citing a violation of the agreement due to ConvrtX’s inability to fulfill their delivery obligations.

In her complaint, she stated that she learned Mr. Adler was not compensating his development team adequately for their required tasks, which led to numerous delays due to employee departures and resulted in inadequate product deliveries.

The company’s compliance officer stated that Ms. Imran could incur penalties of at least $60,000 (£47,000) should she choose to make public unfavorable remarks regarding ConvRTx or try contacting any of its staff members. She interpreted this threat as an effort to frighten and intimidate her.

Even with her background, Ms Imran was showcased - up until last month - as a fraudulent endorsement on the company's website.

"ConvrtX has assisted us in moving from concept to launch, supporting every step along the way. They truly offer a comprehensive approach to their work!" the post stated.

"Those words were never uttered by me," states Ms Imran, adding that she had earlier requested Mr Adler to take it off.

In addition to Mrs. Imran’s fabricated review, it was discovered that Mr. Adler also employed an image of Jen Selter, a well-known lifestyle and fitness influencer boasting over 13 million followers online. Ms. Selter verified that she has not utilized ConvrtX's services and stated that the photograph was used without her permission.

Mr. Adler's attorneys claim that these testimonials were posted on a "mock website" which was "not meant to be accessible to the public" by ConvrtX.

Nevertheless, these documents were accessible online just last month, with some dating back to August 2020, based on archived versions of websites and screenshots provided by the organization.

Early this year, Mr. Adler relaunched ConvrtX and, prior to being approached by the authority, was offering eight-week bootcamps at a price of $159 (£124). According to a promotional clip, he asserted that he had assisted founders in securing funding ranging from six to nine-figure sums, and boasted about having positively influenced 10,000 individuals' lives.

He reached out to Mr. Adler enquiring about the basis for these figures, however, his legal representatives did not respond to our inquiry.

In a letter, attorneys representing Josh Adler state that he "categorically" rejects all accusations. According to them, both Mr. Adler and his company have been "wronged," suffering as victims prior to Gemma Martin’s defamatory remarks against ConvRTx. The legal team notes that ConvRTx typically encountered minimal client complaints, if any at all, before these statements were made.

Additional reporting was provided by William Dahlgreen and Tom Beal.