Dave Copps, CEO of Worlds: $31 Million Raised to Power the Future of Industrial Automation

Welcome to another episode of Category Visionaries — the show that explores GTM stories from tech's most innovative B2B founders. In today's episode, we're speaking with Dave Copps, CEO & Co-Founder at Worlds, an industrial metaverse platform that has raised $31 Million in funding.

Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:

• Early AI Innovations: Dave discusses his early involvement in AI, predating the current hype, and how his fascination with corporate culture and anthropology led to pioneering work in semantic search and digital investigations.
• Surviving the Dotcom Crash: Dave reflects on steering his first company through the turbulent dotcom crash, emphasizing the importance of resilience and the critical support of investors who are genuinely committed to the founder’s vision.
• Transition from Back Office AI to Industrial Applications: Dave shares his journey from creating AI for back office applications to developing Worlds, which applies AI in real-world industrial settings, enhancing safety and operational efficiency.
• Building a Market of One: Dave explains his strategy of creating unique products that do not just fill gaps in the market but also redefine the market itself, combining broad technological capabilities with innovative business models.
• The Importance of Choosing the Right Investors: Reflecting on his experiences, Dave stresses the significance of selecting investors who align with the startup’s vision and are committed to supporting founders through challenges.
• Vision for AI’s Future: Dave delves into his perspective on the future of AI, including the potential for AI to facilitate real-time, multimodal interactions between humans and machines, transforming how we manage and interact with industrial environments.