The 2025 Greg Smith Award VitaminLab - Anton Solonnikov and its team of investors

For the fifth year in a row, Angel Forum was pleased to present the Greg Smith Award to the founder-investor team demonstrating the most grit at our Mountain Summit we hosted on October 8th. After an open and long nomination process, the award was presented to Anton Solonnikov, Founder and CEO of VitaminLab and its group of investors: eFund, WUTIF, WEL Victoria, Nimbus Synergies, Relentless Venture Fund, numerous individual angel investors and PacifiCan, many of whom were present at the event.

Anton, who traveled from Victoria together with his young family, and the investor team were honoured to accept the award from Yasuko Donily, Greg’s partner.

Named in memory of the late Greg Smith, investor and co-founder of Espresso Capital, the award recognizes teams that, during challenging times, demonstrated exceptional collaboration between founders and investors. In the case of VitaminLab, this collaboration spanned several years and was critical to the company’s evolution.

VitaminLab, a life sciences company focused on the production and delivery of personalized vitamin supplements, faced numerous hurdles in scaling its operations. A key challenge was the development of a dedicated manufacturing facility capable of meeting increasing demand, a process that required multiple early-stage funding rounds between 2017 and 2023. Local angels and seed funds stepped up to the plate multiple times during these years to ensure the capital requirements could be met.

In 2023, the company secured a Series A round led by Vancouver-based Nimbus Synergies and DSM Ventures from Europe, though not without complications. A major strategic investor withdrew at the last minute, forcing the remaining investors and founder to adapt quickly to the changed circumstances. Despite reduced capital, Solonnikov and his investors creatively worked through this situation in order to ensure that the company could stay on track with its growth objectives despite the reduced investment amount.

Another significant test came in 2025 with the move to a larger, integrated manufacturing facility. This expansion was partially financed through a BC Manufacturing Grant and support from PacifiCan. However, since this government funding was only reimbursed after expenses were incurred and paid during a period where cash was tight, cash flow became a critical issue for VitaminLab. Once again, the investor team stepped in, structuring and funding a loan facility to bridge this gap. The new manufacturing facility was successfully completed in July 2025 and is now fully operational as VitaminLab expands its direct and indirect distribution channels across North America.

While accepting the award, Anton emphasized that the investors’ contributions went far beyond capital. Their ongoing advice and support, spanning from operational decisions to long-term strategic planning, were instrumental to the company’s success. Key investors also joined the board, which now includes Pieter Dorsman (Chair), Hans Knapp, Laura Cassin (representing Nimbus), and Scott Horner (representing DSM-Firmenich).

Following in the footsteps of Redlen, Actenum, Indiegraf, and Save Da Sea, VitaminLab stands as a prime example of entrepreneurial excellence paired with British Columbia’s collaborative approach to early-stage tech investing. The lessons learned from their journey will undoubtedly inspire and inform future success stories in the region.