Founders in Arms From Rice Krispies to $36M Series B: Dan Hobbs on Building Safety AI, Enterprise Sales, and Leading Across Borders
Apr 25, 2025
In this discussion, Dan Hobbs, co-founder and CEO of Protex AI, reveals his inspiring journey from bootstrapping a startup to leading a 70-person team focused on industrial safety through computer vision technology. He dives into how his team utilizes existing CCTV systems to prevent workplace accidents. Dan also shares insights on navigating enterprise sales and building trust with clients, the unique challenges of managing an international team, and the evolving landscape of AI fundraising. His candid experiences offer valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs.
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Accidental Safety AI Founders
- Dan Hobbs and his co-founder are not safety professionals but computer vision researchers who pivoted into safety AI after a tragic accident highlighted behavior patterns leading to incidents.
- They discovered existing CCTV footage showed repeated risk behaviors unnoticed before, and built Protex AI to identify these dangers proactively.
Think Fresh to Disrupt Markets
- Approach new markets with a raw, open mindset instead of a fixed solution to truly redefine the category.
- Thinking outside the box is easier when you've never been boxed in before, enabling disruptive innovation.
Startup Skills Trump Industry Experience
- Most successful founding CEOs lack relevant industry experience but having previous startup success highly correlates with later success.
- Startup skills are distinct from market knowledge and often more about persistence than domain expertise.
