Category Visionaries

Welcome to another episode of Category Visionaries — the show that explores GTM stories from the tech's most innovative B2B founders. In today's episode, we're speaking with Anthony Mironov, CEO and Co-Founder of Wingspan, a payroll platform purpose-built for contingent work that has raised $30 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Anthony's Background: Anthony shared his journey from private equity, focusing on payroll and benefits, to founding Wingspan. His experience in evaluating investment opportunities and a successful sale to Paychex provided him with deep insights into the payroll sector. Founding Wingspan: Motivated by the administrative burdens on companies and freelancers in the gig economy, Anthony, leveraging his experience as an independent consultant, founded Wingspan to tackle these challenges. Investor Confidence: Wingspan's vision attracted investments from prestigious firms and notable founders, signaling strong investor belief in its potential to revolutionize freelance work administration. Market Validation: Anthony observed early signs of the freelance work trend, which COVID-19 accelerated, reinforcing Wingspan's mission to update the outdated system of record for freelance work. B2B Focus Shift: Initially a direct-to-consumer model, Wingspan pivoted to a B2B focus upon realizing the scalability challenges of the former approach. This strategic shift targeted companies built on contingent work, leading to Wingspan's scalable success. Vision for the Future: Anthony envisions Wingspan becoming a leading financial services company for the professional services market, aiming to create a unified platform that simplifies the complexities of working independently.

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 Ned Hill, CEO and Founder of Position Imaging, a package management and asset tracking platform that has raised over $75 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Entrepreneurial Beginnings: Ned shares his journey from founding a company in 1999 based on wireless tracking technology initially aimed at tracking pets, highlighting his entrepreneurial spirit and early interest in technology solutions. Transitioning Markets: Position Imaging's journey from an initial focus on image-guided surgery to logistics showcases the company's adaptability and Ned's vision for applying their technology across various industries. Innovation in Package Management: The development of the Smart Package Room as Position Imaging's first product demonstrates their commitment to revolutionizing how packages are managed in multifamily residences, offering a more efficient and automated solution. Challenges of the Dot-Com Crash: Ned reflects on the difficulties faced during the dot-com crash, sharing valuable lessons on investor relationships and strategic decision-making during challenging times. Expanding Product Applications: Position Imaging's ability to adapt its platform for different markets, including office spaces and retail, highlights the versatility of their technology and their approach to solving logistics challenges across industries. Vision for the Future: Ned outlines his ambitious vision for Position Imaging to dominate the package management market and establish their iPickup brand as the "ATM of first and last mile delivery," showcasing their potential for widespread impact on logistics and delivery services.

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 Ben Kliger, CEO and Co-Founder of Zenity, a security governance platform for no code and AI development that has raised $21.5 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Unit 8200's Impact: Ben credits his transformative experience in Unit 8200, emphasizing the unit's culture of embracing challenges and enabling significant contributions to national security. This environment fostered his leadership skills and established a lifelong network of friends and colleagues. Entrepreneurial Roots and Vision: With a background influenced by entrepreneurial family values and participation in entrepreneur programs, Ben always aspired to create his own technology company. His journey through roles at Deloitte, Fortscale, and Microsoft further shaped his ambition to address meaningful business challenges with innovative solutions. Inspiration from Leaders: Identifying David Ben-Gurion and Satya Nadella as his inspirations, Ben admires their leadership qualities of empathy and customer obsession. These principles guide Zenity's mission to prioritize customer needs and drive meaningful impact. Zenity's Mission: Focused on security governance for no-code and AI development, Zenity aims to ensure that citizen-developed applications within enterprises are secure. By addressing the security aspects of no-code and AI tools, Zenity enables organizations to empower their non-technical staff without compromising on security. Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) Identification: Zenity targets large enterprises that heavily utilize major SaaS platforms for citizen development projects. The company focuses on security leaders within these organizations, offering solutions to manage the risks associated with no-code and AI development by non-technical employees. Marketing Philosophy and Growth Strategy: Emphasizing thought leadership and partnerships, Zenity engages with industry organizations and leverages direct sales to communicate its value proposition. The company's approach is not about inducing fear but about enabling organizations to harness the power of no-code and AI development securely.

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 Hanns Aderhold, Founder and CEO of Cobrainer, a people's first skills AI platform that has raised $21 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Origins and Shifts: Cobrainer started as a university project in 2013, aiming to facilitate project team formations based on skills. The initial vision expanded into the corporate world when companies expressed interest in adopting a similar skills-based approach for internal staffing. Early Challenges and Encouragements: Hanns faced discouragement when sharing his startup idea, with many advising him to gain experience in large companies first. However, this skepticism fueled his determination to proceed with Cobrainer. From Consultancy to SaaS: Cobrainer's journey began as a consultancy, providing custom skills-based staffing solutions for enterprises. In 2020, the company pivoted to a single-product SaaS model, focusing on internal career transparency and personalized career recommendations for employees based on their unique skill profiles. Navigating COVID-19: The pandemic initially seemed like a setback for Cobrainer, especially after moving away from consultancy. However, the shift towards internal talent management during hiring freezes proved to be an accelerant for the company's SaaS product. Building Partnerships: Hanns emphasizes the importance of forming strategic partnerships with consultancies and HR tech vendors. These collaborations have been crucial for Cobrainer, allowing them to refine their product and achieve significant growth by leveraging partners' networks and platforms. Vision for the Future: Looking ahead, Hanns envisions a world where individuals can easily navigate their careers based on their skills, contributing to their personal fulfillment and the development of meaningful work. Cobrainer aims to be the navigation platform that enables this future, helping people to follow their true calling by providing clear, skills-based career pathways.

Amy Brown, CEO of Authenticx, shares her journey from healthcare to founding a listening AI platform. She discusses the problem Authenticx solves in healthcare customer service. Amy introduces 'Listening AI' as a new category, emphasizing actionable insights from conversation data. The podcast also delves into securing key contracts, responsible marketing in the AI market, and the future of incorporating customer feedback into decision making.

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 Mike Pappas, CEO and Co-Founder of Modulate, a voice safety platform that has raised $36 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Unconventional Path to Tech: Mike's journey from studying physics and math at MIT, exploring different industries, including a significant stint at Bridgewater Associates, before co-founding Modulate with his CTO, Carter, reflects the importance of diverse experiences in shaping a founder's vision and approach to building innovative solutions. Bridgewater's Influence: Mike's time at Bridgewater Associates introduced him to the principles of radical transparency and continuous feedback, shaping his management style and the culture at Modulate, albeit with a nuanced approach to accommodate different individual needs and foster inclusivity. Identifying the Problem: The inception of Modulate was driven by a desire to improve online interactions. Originally exploring voice-changing technology, they pivoted to voice moderation after recognizing a critical market need for protecting users from harmful content in digital spaces. Customer-driven Development: The transition from voice transformation to voice moderation highlights the significance of listening to customer feedback and adapting the product to meet market demands effectively. Prosocial Voice Intelligence: Modulate's vision extends beyond voice safety, aiming to enable richer, more meaningful online interactions globally through prosocial voice intelligence. This ambition illustrates the broad impact that innovative technology can have on enhancing human connections in digital environments.

Welcome to another episode of Category Visionaries — the show that explores GTM stories from the tech's most innovative B2B founders. In today's episode, we're speaking with Dirk Doebler, Founder and CEO of Parento, a paid parental leave insurance solution that has raised $4.5 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Unconventional Path to Insurance: Despite a career in finance and operations, Dirk ventured into the insurance industry to tackle paid parental leave, a domain where he saw significant potential for social impact and financial innovation. Personal Drive for Entrepreneurship: Dirk's journey to founding Parento was fueled by a desire to work on problems that mattered to him personally, rather than fitting into the conventional job mold. His quest for meaningful work led him to identify and solve the challenge of providing paid parental leave. Founding Inspiration from Market Research: The realization that finance departments were the bottleneck in companies offering paid parental leave propelled Dirk to start Parento. He saw the need for a solution that could bridge the gap between HR's understanding of the leave's importance and finance's concerns about its cost and ROI. Solving a Financial Problem: Dirk identified paid parental leave as a finance issue requiring a finance solution. Parento was conceptualized to offer insurance that makes paid leave more feasible and appealing for companies by providing budget certainty and demonstrating clear ROI. Misconceptions about Paid Parental Leave: Dirk addresses common misconceptions companies have about paid parental leave, such as fears of abuse or misunderstanding the return on investment. He emphasizes the benefits of offering comprehensive leave policies for retention and talent attraction. Building for the Future: Looking ahead, Parento aims to be the go-to provider for supporting working families beyond just the parental leave phase. They plan to expand their suite of products to encompass broader family support, further integrating financial solutions with employee well-being.

Welcome to another episode of Category Visionaries — the show that explores GTM stories from the tech's most innovative B2B founders. In today's episode, we're speaking with Allison Wolff, CEO at Vibrant Planet, a land management restoration platform that's raised $34 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Origins and Vision: Vibrant Planet emerged from Allison's deep involvement in climate solutions and sustainability within the tech sector, pivoting to address the significant wildfire problem and climate resilience with a tech-forward approach. Early Netflix Experience: Allison's tenure at Netflix during its formative years as a DVD rental service provided invaluable experience in brand and user experience, which she carries into her leadership at Vibrant Planet. Problem Definition: Vibrant Planet tackles the critical issue of catastrophic wildfires through ecosystem restoration and risk mitigation, addressing a need for modernized land management and resilience building in the face of climate change. Unique Approach: Unlike traditional strategies, Vibrant Planet integrates sophisticated science and data engineering to model ecosystem complexities, enabling precise land management and wildfire risk mitigation strategies. Customer Base Expansion: Initially focused on a consulting model, Vibrant Planet transitioned to a tech platform, engaging with government entities, utilities, fire districts, and others in natural resource management and wildfire risk management. Growth and Impact: With a substantial increase in the area served, Vibrant Planet is making strides in transforming land management across the western US, illustrating the scalable impact of their solutions on wildfire mitigation and ecosystem health.

Welcome to another episode of Category Visionaries — the show that explores GTM stories from the tech's most innovative B2B founders. In today's episode, we're speaking with Kevin Hart, CEO and Founder of Green Check Verified, a cannabis technology company that has raised $16 Million in funding.   Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Background and Expertise: Kevin brings a wealth of experience from the tech industry, having held C-level positions for four decades, taken companies public, and worked closely with VCs and private equity. This depth of experience fuels his current venture into solving financial and business service access issues in the cannabis industry. Founderitis and Portfolio Cramp: Kevin shares insights into "founderitis," a common affliction where founders can struggle with scaling and adapting their original ideas. He highlights the importance of having a strong team and clear operational goals to overcome these challenges. Transition to Cannabis Industry: Initially approached to build a point-of-sale system for the cannabis sector, Kevin's fascination grew with the financial service challenges within the industry. Green Check Verified was born from his desire to address these issues. Education and Advocacy: Kevin emphasizes the significance of educating oneself about the cannabis industry, respecting its culture, history, and the skepticism towards newcomers. He underlines the importance of contributing positively and avoiding the "green rush" mentality. Product Evolution and Market Fit: While Green Check Verified started with a focus on financial services for the cannabis industry, Kevin explains the evolution of their product suite to meet the complex regulatory and operational needs of their clients, aiming for a frictionless experience. Vision for the Future: Looking ahead, Kevin discusses the potential impacts of changes in cannabis regulation and the importance of data and operational efficiency in adapting to the evolving market. He envisions Green Check Verified playing a critical role in supporting businesses through these transitions.

Welcome to another episode of Category Visionaries — the show that explores GTM stories from the tech's most innovative B2B founders. In today's episode, we're speaking with Bob van Luijt, CEO and Co-Founder of Weaviate, a cloud native real-time vector database that has raised over $67 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Early Beginnings: Bob's foray into technology began with the internet's arrival at his home, leading to his first business in web development before turning 20, showcasing his entrepreneurial spirit from a young age. Transition to AI: Bob's career took a significant turn towards AI and machine learning around 2014-2015, culminating in the creation of Weaviate, driven by his fascination with vector embeddings and their potential for improving search and recommendation systems. Weaviate's Origin: Initially an open-source project, Weaviate evolved into a business in 2019. The venture into AI and machine learning infrastructure was fueled by the realization of the immense potential in creating an AI-native database. Marketing Strategy: Bob emphasizes the importance of a bottom-up marketing approach for B2B companies targeting developers, focusing on assisting developers in achieving success with Weaviate's technology rather than pushing the product itself. Future Vision: Looking ahead, Bob envisions Weaviate as an AI-native platform, emphasizing the shift towards AI-native infrastructure in software development and the goal of empowering developers to create AI-native applications seamlessly. Lessons in Fundraising: Bob's journey in fundraising revealed the importance of organic relationship building with investors, underscoring that genuine connections and a shared vision can lead to successful funding rounds without excessive friction.