Akston Biosciences is revolutionizing pet healthcare through innovative protein engineering and biotechnology solutions. After selling his first company Smart Cells to Merck for over $500M, Todd Zion founded Akston Biosciences in 2011 to apply advanced biotech expertise to the growing pet health market. With over $50M in funding, Akston is developing breakthrough treatments including once-weekly insulin, cancer therapies, and other protein-based medicines for pets, while maintaining cost effectiveness for pet owners. Topics Discussed:  The transition from human health biotech to the pet health market  Streamlined clinical trial processes in pet health vs. human health  The evolution of the pet healthcare market and consumer willingness to pay  Balancing technical innovation with cost-effective development  The challenges of fundraising in an emerging biotech category  Pipeline development across multiple pet health conditions   GTM Lessons For B2B Founders:  Navigate pivots decisively: Todd emphasized that most founders wait too long to pivot. He advises that when you start seeing signs that the future isn't unfolding as planned, that's the time to begin considering a pivot - while you still have resources and before becoming too entrenched. Their pivot to focusing entirely on pet health required significant restructuring but ultimately created a clearer path forward. Find the regulatory sweet spot: Akston discovered that pet health offered a faster path to market validation compared to human health biotech. The ability to conduct field trials with just hundreds rather than thousands of subjects, combined with more streamlined regulatory requirements, allowed them to de-risk their assets more quickly and cost-effectively while still maintaining high standards. Build for the actual market conditions: Rather than assuming future market changes (like expanded pet insurance coverage), Akston designs their products around current market realities - namely that most pet medications are paid out-of-pocket. This forced them to innovate not just technically but in development and manufacturing to keep costs accessible to pet owners. Create new categories through technology translation: Instead of building an entirely new technology, Akston applied proven biotech approaches from human health to the pet market. This allowed them to leverage existing expertise while pioneering a new category, positioning themselves as "the Biogen for pets" rather than just another pet health company. Structure early testing for rapid validation: By utilizing the FDA's investigational new animal drug application process, Akston could begin testing in their target population much earlier in development. This enabled them to validate their concepts within a year rather than waiting through multiple phases of trials, allowing for more efficient resource allocation.   //   Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe.  www.GlobalTalent.co    

Portrait Analytics is transforming institutional investment research by building an AI-powered thought partner that helps investors throughout their research process. With $10M in funding, Portrait's platform accelerates idea generation, context building, and portfolio monitoring by leveraging advanced language models to analyze vast amounts of financial data. In this episode of Category Visionaries, David Plon shares how his lifelong passion for investing, combined with early experiments in AI at Stanford Business School, led to creating a solution that's reimagining how institutional investors conduct research. Topics Discussed: Evolution from early AI experiments to a full-fledged investment research platform Approach to finding and converting early customers in the pre-ChatGPT era Strategy for standing out in the crowded AI landscape Implementation of the jobs-to-be-done framework in product development Vision for AI becoming the operating system for investment firms   GTM Lessons For B2B Founders: Leverage trusted relationships for early validation: Plon's industry experience and network provided crucial early adopters who could bridge the credibility gap for a novel AI solution. When launching innovative technology, founders should identify and activate relationships where trust can overcome initial skepticism about new approaches. Focus on jobs-to-be-done over features: Portrait succeeded by deeply understanding specific research workflows and tasks investors need to accomplish, rather than leading with AI capabilities. Plon explains, "AI is a how, not a what." B2B founders should focus messaging on the concrete progress users want to make rather than the underlying technology. Identify natural product-qualified leads: Portrait targets users who have already attempted DIY solutions with tools like ChatGPT, indicating both pain awareness and willingness to adopt AI solutions. B2B founders should look for similar revealed preferences that suggest prospect readiness for their solution. Position AI products as team members: Rather than creating a new budget category, Portrait positions its solution as an alternative to hiring junior analysts - connecting to existing buying patterns. B2B founders should align their value proposition with familiar purchasing decisions their target buyers already make. Build content marketing flywheels: Portrait leverages the research insights their platform generates as marketing content, creating a natural loop between product value and audience building. B2B founders should identify similar opportunities where their product's output can fuel marketing efforts.   //   Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe.  www.GlobalTalent.co  

Renaissance Fusion is pioneering the development of nuclear fusion technology, aiming to create safe, sustainable energy through a innovative approach that combines high-temperature superconductors, stellarator reactors, and liquid metal cooling systems. In this episode of Category Visionaries, Francesco Volpe shares insights into building a deep tech startup in a highly complex and capital-intensive industry, while addressing technical challenges and public perception hurdles around nuclear technology. Topics Discussed: Technical foundations of Renaissance Fusion's approach to nuclear fusion Contrasting approaches to nuclear energy policy between France and Germany Strategies for addressing public perception and safety concerns Dual-track go-to-market strategy leveraging superconductor technology Capital requirements and fundraising in deep tech Key technological milestones and development roadmap   GTM Lessons for B2B Founders:  Build revenue bridges to long-term vision: Renaissance Fusion demonstrates how deep tech startups can generate early revenue through component technologies while working toward their ultimate vision. Francesco explained their strategy of commercializing superconductor technology to non-fusion markets, creating immediate revenue opportunities while developing their fusion technology. Address market psychology head-on: When dealing with technologies that face public concern or skepticism, Francesco emphasizes the importance of direct education and transparent communication. Rather than avoiding difficult conversations about safety and risk, the company has made public acceptance a core pillar of their technology development. Structure technical innovation to reduce capital requirements: In capital-intensive industries, Francesco shows how to strategically sequence development to reduce initial capital requirements. By starting with smaller demonstration projects and revenue-generating components, they've created a path to their ultimate billion-dollar reactor while raising manageable funding rounds. Balance multiple stakeholder perspectives: Renaissance Fusion successfully navigates complex relationships between private investors, government grants, and public interests. Francesco highlighted how they align different stakeholder priorities - from investor returns to environmental impact - through clear communication about risk/reward tradeoffs and development timelines. Leverage adjacent markets for validation: Their strategy of selling superconductor technology to established industries like wind energy and medical imaging provides technical validation and market credibility while developing their core fusion technology. This approach helps de-risk the broader vision for both investors and customers.   //   Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe.  www.GlobalTalent.co    

Savana is pioneering the transformation of healthcare data intelligence through advanced AI and natural language processing. By converting unstructured medical records into actionable databases, Savana enables healthcare providers and researchers to make data-driven decisions and accelerate medical research. In this episode of Category Visionaries, Ignacio Medrano shares his journey from practicing neurologist to tech founder, and how Savana navigated the complex European healthcare market to build a new category in healthcare intelligence. Topics Discussed: The evolution of AI acceptance in healthcare from 2014 to present Navigating European healthcare regulations and data privacy Pivoting from direct hospital sales to pharmaceutical companies The impact of COVID-19 on healthcare data sharing culture Building predictive algorithms for disease identification The future of AI-driven personalized healthcare   GTM Lessons for B2B Founders: Find revenue where barriers are lowest: When Savana discovered hospitals weren't ready for their solution, they pivoted to pharmaceutical companies who had immediate needs and budgets. This kept them alive until the market matured. B2B founders should identify alternative buyers who can provide early revenue while waiting for their primary market to develop. Regulatory challenges can create opportunities: Savana turned Europe's strict data privacy regulations into an advantage by developing compliant solutions that could scale as regulations evolved. B2B founders should view regulatory constraints as potential differentiators rather than just obstacles. Crisis can accelerate market readiness: COVID-19 transformed European attitudes toward healthcare data sharing, creating new opportunities. B2B founders should stay prepared for external events that can suddenly accelerate market adoption of their solution. Product-market fit requires cultural alignment: Savana's initial doctor-focused tool failed because it conflicted with medical culture around evidence-based decision-making. B2B founders must deeply understand not just customer needs, but also their professional values and decision-making frameworks. Healthcare requires different ROI calculations: Traditional market efficiency metrics often don't apply in healthcare due to political and social considerations. B2B founders entering healthcare must account for non-financial factors in their value proposition and sales strategy.   //   Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe.  www.GlobalTalent.co  

In this episode of Category Visionaries, we explore PolyAPI's journey to revolutionize enterprise middleware. As a category maker in the integration space, PolyAPI is challenging traditional low-code/no-code approaches by enabling developers to build robust enterprise integrations using native programming languages. Through conversations with Darko Vukovic, we learn how his deep industry experience and strategic focus on developer-first principles are reshaping how enterprises approach connectivity and integration challenges. Topics Discussed: The evolution from enterprise integration platforms to native code development Building credibility in enterprise sales through transparency and documentation Creating a new market category between iPaaS and application development Strategic fundraising approaches for deep tech startups Future vision for AI-powered enterprise connectivity GTM Lessons For B2B Founders: Build credibility through transparency: Rather than hiding their product behind NDAs, PolyAPI published detailed demos and documentation early. Darko explained, "We think that our domain and our product set is just so hard to copy and replicate... so we were never worried about competitors catching wind of what we're doing." This transparency helped enterprise buyers see that PolyAPI wasn't vaporware. Target technical decision makers with depth: PolyAPI succeeded by focusing on enterprises that had already rejected low-code platforms and were building in-house solutions. This created a clear target market of sophisticated buyers who understood the limitations of existing solutions and were willing to adopt a new approach. Start marketing through 1:1 engagement: Instead of broad marketing campaigns, PolyAPI began with individual conversations to gather feedback, find alpha testers, and evolve into beta testing. This grassroots approach helped them refine their product and messaging before scaling up marketing efforts. Find investors who deeply understand your space: Out of 20 initial VC conversations, 19 passed, but Ross Mason (Mulesoft founder) immediately invested. Darko noted, "That kind of signal is really important because the one person who deeply understands the space was super excited to invest." This validated their approach and provided valuable strategic guidance. Build relationships with VCs continuously: Even six months after their latest round, PolyAPI is already preparing for Series A by maintaining relationships with 20+ VCs and working toward clear metrics. This ongoing engagement creates leverage for future fundraising by demonstrating consistent progress.     //   Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe.  www.GlobalTalent.co  

Scrona is revolutionizing semiconductor and display manufacturing with its high-accuracy MEMS-based printing platform. In this episode, Patrick Heissler shares his journey since taking the helm as CEO in 2024, focusing on transforming promising research technology into an industrial-scale solution. With $15.5M in funding and partnerships with major semiconductor manufacturers, Scrona is poised to redefine high-precision manufacturing across multiple industries. Topics Discussed: Transitioning from research-driven development to industrial-scale manufacturing solutions Building strategic partnerships to drive technology adoption in complex supply chains Scaling semiconductor-based printhead technology from 8 to 100+ nozzles Expanding from semiconductor applications to life sciences and consumer electronics Developing next-generation platforms with 1000+ nozzles and AI-driven control systems Creating an ecosystem approach to serve both large-scale manufacturers and smaller innovators   GTM Lessons for B2B Founders:  Success Often Starts with Ecosystem Position: Heissler emphasizes that beyond having great technology, success depends heavily on "being at the right spot at the right time, having the right contacts." B2B founders should strategically position themselves within their target industry's ecosystem and build relationships before attempting major market entry. Find Your "End Market Champion": When introducing platform technology, Heissler stresses the importance of securing a major customer who can "pull you through the whole supply chain." Rather than trying to push technology into resistant supply chains, founders should focus on convincing end-market leaders who have the influence to drive adoption throughout their ecosystem. Balance Custom Solutions with Standard Products: Scrona maintains focus on high-value custom projects while partnering with Notion System to serve smaller customers. This strategy allows them to maximize team impact on strategic priorities while still capturing broader market opportunities. B2B founders should consider similar hybrid approaches to market development. Product Definition Drives Market Entry: Upon joining as CEO, Heissler's first priority was defining a clear product roadmap with specific deliverables, starting with the 8-nozzle Gen 3 printhead. Early-stage founders should focus on converting technology capabilities into concrete products that customers can evaluate and implement. Selective Project Strategy: Rather than pursuing every opportunity, Heissler advocates focusing on "value inflecting projects that bring us forward." B2B founders should carefully select initial projects based on their potential to advance company strategy, not just generate revenue.   //   Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe.  www.GlobalTalent.co  

ecoLocked, backed by over $6 million in funding, is pioneering a revolutionary approach to carbon removal by developing CO2 negative concrete admixes. In a recent episode of Category Visionaries, co-founder and co-CEO Steff Gerhart shared insights into how the company is leveraging biochar technology to transform the construction industry's environmental impact while scaling carbon removal solutions. Topics Discussed: The critical need for scaling carbon removal technologies beyond emission reduction Biochar's dominance in the carbon removal market and its scaling challenges Construction industry's massive environmental impact (15% of global emissions) Product development and market validation in the conservative construction sector Geographic expansion strategy across European markets Building trust and credibility in the risk-averse concrete industry   GTM Lessons For B2B Founders:  Target Early Adopters Strategically: Steff revealed their approach to finding first customers by focusing on concrete producers who already marketed sustainable products and had previous startup partnerships. She explained, "We look for customers who are already marketing their material as environmentally less harmful, sustainable...and we checked that they had either partnered with startups before or they have done some innovative approach within their own operations." Time Your Market Entry Carefully: The team deliberately delayed broad marketing efforts until their product was market-ready. Steff shared, "It was always a big question for us, when should we really go out and become very vocal about what we are doing? Because we knew it would take some time and there's the risk then that you go out...but you're not ready. And until you get ready, you are kind of yesterday's news." Balance Technical Transparency with Vision: In a risk-averse industry, ecoLocked found success by carefully balancing technical transparency with maintaining excitement about their solution. Steff noted, "We kind of need to balance these conversations by obviously being open in what our product can and cannot do...without scaring them away or not getting them excited." Invest in Education Before Sales: For innovative products in traditional industries, education is crucial. ecoLocked invested in creating infographics, videos, and thought leadership content to help potential customers understand carbon removal and sustainability concepts. As Steff explained, "A lot of people are not very knowledgeable about sustainability, about carbon removal...This is a whole new topic that they have never been in touch with before." Consider Funding Strategy Carefully: Deep tech startups face unique fundraising challenges compared to digital products. Steff advised, "If you rise in deep tech, in climate tech...you need hardware. In our case, we needed a laboratory. This is a whole different story in terms of how quickly the hockey stick goes up and how much money you need early on."   //   Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe.  www.GlobalTalent.co  

Flow is revolutionizing commercial insurance wholesaling through AI-powered operations, focusing on bringing enterprise-grade service to small and mid-market accounts. With $20.6M in funding, Flow has developed a system of AI agents that help brokers streamline every step of the insurance placement process, from submission structuring to policy analysis and comparisons. Topics Discussed: Flow's evolution from a platform-based solution to an AI-enhanced email-first approach The critical role of wholesale brokers in commercial insurance Challenges and opportunities in serving small and mid-market accounts How AI technology enables superior service delivery in insurance The importance of human expertise alongside technological innovation Marketing strategies in B2B insurance technology GTM Lessons For B2B Founders: Listen to how customers want to work: Flow initially built a platform requiring users to log in, but discovered clients preferred email. Rather than forcing behavior change, they adapted their solution to work within existing workflows while adding AI-powered efficiency behind the scenes. Focus on underserved segments: By targeting small and mid-market accounts that traditional wholesalers found unprofitable, Flow created a compelling value proposition. Their AI-driven approach made these segments economically viable while delivering superior service. Product-market fit requires deep industry understanding: Despite having a working product and paying customers, Flow didn't achieve true product-market fit until they understood the fundamental role of expertise and guidance in wholesale insurance. Cold outreach can work with the right approach: After initial failed attempts at cold emails, Flow found success by having messages come from existing brokers rather than generic company accounts, demonstrating the continued importance of relationships in B2B sales. Build for the frontline decision-maker: Flow recognized that their success depends on winning the mental battle when brokers decide how to place business. By focusing on the frontline teams' needs, they've created a compelling service that drives organic growth.   //   Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe.  www.GlobalTalent.co    

Stellar is revolutionizing mobile connectivity by solving one of technology's most persistent challenges: reliable internet access in moving vehicles. With $9.3M in funding, Stellar has developed innovative software that seamlessly aggregates multiple networks (cellular, WiFi, and satellite) to ensure consistent connectivity, laying the foundation for the autonomous vehicle revolution. In this episode of Category Visionaries, Damien Garot shares how Stellar is bridging the digital divide between urban and rural areas while enabling the next generation of connected mobility. Topics Discussed: The technical approach to solving mobile connectivity issues through network aggregation Stellar's dual go-to-market strategy targeting both immediate fleet solutions and long-term automotive integration The evolution of autonomous vehicles and their dependency on reliable connectivity Cultural differences in autonomous vehicle adoption across regions The importance of social acceptance and safety perception in autonomous technology How Stellar's technology mapping reveals connectivity gaps in major tech hubs The impact of winning the European Startup Prize for Mobility on fundraising GTM Lessons for B2B Founders: Bridge the gap between long-term vision and immediate revenue: Stellar developed a plug-and-play solution (Global) to generate immediate revenue while pursuing longer-term automotive partnerships. This approach provides market validation, customer feedback, and credibility with major manufacturers. Adapt your strategy to market realities: The original plan rarely survives contact with the market. Stellar evolved from focusing solely on automotive integration to include a dual-track approach serving both immediate and future market needs. Build credibility through industry recognition: Winning the European Startup Prize for Mobility played a crucial role in Stellar's fundraising success, demonstrating how industry awards and endorsements can influence investor decisions, particularly in European markets. Understand regional investment dynamics: European fundraising often requires long-term relationship building with investors. Stellar spent up to 18 months nurturing investor relationships before securing investments, highlighting the importance of patience in European markets. Target both immediate pain points and future opportunities: While autonomous vehicles represent a massive future opportunity, Stellar addresses current connectivity challenges for existing vehicle fleets, creating immediate value while building toward their larger vision.   //   Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe.  www.GlobalTalent.co      

Pier is revolutionizing credit infrastructure by enabling companies to launch compliant credit products through their API-first solution. Having raised $2.5M from notable investors including Y Combinator, Airbnb, OpenAI, Experian, and Morgan Stanley, Pier is transforming how businesses offer innovative credit solutions to their users. In this episode of Category Visionaries, Jessica Zhang shares her journey from identifying a critical market need at her previous company to launching Pier in 2023 and securing their first major customer within just four weeks. Topics Discussed: Building an API-first solution for compliant credit products The evolution from identifying market pain points to product development First principles approach to reimagining credit infrastructure Strategy for landing enterprise customers with 80k+ ARR deals The role of compliance in credit infrastructure Vision for democratizing access to credit through trusted brands GTM Lessons For B2B Founders: Leverage previous company experience: Zhang and her co-founder's insights from their time at Stilt gave them unique competitive advantages in understanding customer pain points. Sometimes the best startup ideas come from seeing unfinished business or unsolved problems at previous companies rather than a single "aha" moment. Focus on high-quality early customers: Pier specifically targets customers who are leaders in their respective categories, focusing on companies with 4.5+ star ratings and strong growth trajectories. This creates a "golden standard" playbook that can be replicated across similar verticals, making future sales much easier. Embrace organic growth channels: Despite having no dedicated sales or marketing team, Pier achieved significant growth through word-of-mouth referrals from satisfied customers and investors. They prioritized genuine in-person conversations at industry conferences over cold outreach. Move fast despite obstacles: The founders didn't let perfect timing dictate their launch. Despite missing YC batch deadlines and personal commitments, they moved forward because they had validated customer demand. Their ability to secure their first customer within four weeks validated this approach. Build for specific pain points: Instead of creating a general solution, Pier focused heavily on the compliance aspect of lending infrastructure after identifying it as the most painful and challenging part for potential customers through extensive market research and conversations.     //   Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe.  www.GlobalTalent.co