A Canadian tech entrepreneur is facing allegations from former clients who claim they paid his company tens of thousands of dollars to help launch their startups but did not receive the promised products. Josh Adler, founder of ConvrtX, has been accused by multiple clients across the globe of failing to deliver the websites and apps they contracted his company to build.
An investigation involving more than 20 former employees and customers revealed that Adler allegedly continued to solicit services and request additional payments despite consistently failing to deliver what clients had paid for. Some customers report investing up to $245,000 (£184,000) only to receive incomplete or non-functional products.
ConvrtX, launched in 2019, marketed itself as a “world-leading venture studio” claiming to have assisted over 700 aspiring entrepreneurs in starting their businesses. The company offered services including business plan development, investor pitch document creation, and custom website and app building. Operating supposedly from the UK, US, and Canada, Adler runs the company from Dubai. 
According to internal documents uncovered during the investigation, ConvrtX reportedly billed more than $5 million (£3.8 million) to over 280 customers between 2019 and 2023. However, insiders allege there were few successful outcomes from these client relationships.
Client Accusations
Amy (pseudonym), a 37-year-old single mother from the UK, claims she was “led down the garden path” after paying $53,000 (£40,000) in 2021 for a website and app for her fertility-focused non-profit. She alleges she only received a basic website and no functioning app over two years, while Adler continued requesting additional funds.
“I had to remortgage my home and use credit cards to fund this project,” Amy said. “Meanwhile, he was sending me pictures of himself celebrating New Year’s Eve on a beach in Bali. Why flaunt your money to me? It’s disgraceful.”
After requesting a refund through her bank and filing a complaint with the UK’s Financial Ombudsman Service, a senior investigator provisionally recommended that her bank return $39,000 (£30,000). Two expert software developers who reviewed the app concluded that ConvrtX had breached their contract by failing to provide the service she paid for.
Another client, DeShawn Womack, a truck driver from Georgia, claims he paid over $50,000 (£37,750) for a mobile app that would allow users to remotely access their phone data from another device if lost or stolen. Despite making payments over two years, Womack says he only received a design prototype rather than a finished product.
“He sold me a dream and this is frustrating,” Womack told investigators, adding that he spent his life savings on the project.
Management Culture Concerns
Former senior staff members describe Adler, son of wealthy Canadian businessman Kerry Adler, as presiding over an unstable work environment characterized by high staff turnover and cutting corners due to hiring inexperienced contractors.
According to technology ethics expert Dr. Sarah Johnson from the Center for Digital Accountability, “This case highlights the vulnerabilities in the startup ecosystem where founders with limited experience can take advantage of aspiring entrepreneurs with little recourse for clients when promises aren’t kept.”
Multiple ex-employees allege that Adler would take on new clients even after being warned that certain business ideas or apps were unviable or impossible to create. They claim he would request substantial advance payments while maintaining a no-refund policy.
“He’s a good talker, he’s good at sales… but he gives a lot of false promises,” one former staff member stated. Former employees recall Adler instructing them not to tell clients when projects couldn’t be completed, instead suggesting they could fix issues if clients paid more.
Legal Threats and False Testimonials
Several former clients report facing legal threats after complaining about ConvrtX’s services. Gemma Martin from Dundee, who runs a tarot card reading business, says she paid more than $35,000 (£26,000) for services including an interactive website and mobile app. After posting negative reviews online, Martin claims ConvrtX refused to release her website unless she signed a non-disclosure agreement.
In an alarming development reported by 1stNews24, a company lawyer sent Martin sexually inappropriate emails while attempting to resolve the dispute, commenting on her appearance and “beauty” in a professional context.
Steven Marshall, who paid over $5,000 for help launching his independent filmmaker support business, says ConvrtX’s compliance officer threatened “criminal and civil libel” charges if he shared his experience publicly.
The investigation also uncovered fake testimonials on the company’s website. Ayesha Imran, who requested an $18,000 (£13,500) refund after not receiving promised services, discovered her name was being used for a positive testimonial she never provided. “Those words never left my mouth,” Imran stated, adding that she had previously asked Adler to remove it.
Company Response
In response to these allegations, Adler’s legal representatives claim the accusations are false and have been incited by a single disgruntled former client whom they are suing. They maintain that although Adler was “inexperienced” when he founded the business at age 21, his company became very successful in a short period with “the vast majority of clients” satisfied with their work.
According to the legal team, ConvrtX received only about 12-15 complaints out of approximately 340 customers. They also state that after the incident involving sexually inappropriate emails, the company immediately terminated its contract with the lawyer responsible.
Earlier this year, Adler rebranded ConvrtX and, until recently, was selling eight-week “bootcamps” for $159 (£124). In promotional materials, he claimed to have helped “founders raise capital – six, eight, nine figures and the like” and to have “positively impacted 10,000 lives.”
As of now, the ConvrtX website has been disabled, and Adler, through his lawyers, “unequivocally” denies all allegations.
