Category Visionaries

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Joshua Riedy, CEO and Founder of Thread, an autonomous inspection platform that's raised roughly $20 Million in funding. Topics Discussed:  Joshua’s background, meeting his Thread co-founders while creating software for FedEx, and getting funded by Microsoft’s Brad Smith The tech ecosystem in North Dakota, where Joshua is from and operates Why The Revenant is a book that influenced and inspired Joshua The origin story of Thread, and how it empowers front-line workers to diagnose problems in the energy grid infrastructure in a safer and more efficient way Getting a first customer that will only pay when you prove yourself, and working with celebrity investors  Favorite book:  The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge

In today's episode of Category Visionaries we speak with Gabriel Bayomi, CEO and Co-Founder of Openlayer, a debugging workspace for machine learning that's raised $4.8 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Gabriel’s background as a Brazilian student of engineering, moving to the US, and working on Apple’s then-secret Vision Pro project Why Henrique Dubugras is Gabriel’s greatest inspiration as a CEO Why it’s hard to test machine-learning software, and how Openlayer makes that easier to do What Gabriel learned from his time at Y Combinator, and why it’s important to be humble and ask for help The current AI landscape, marketing, and why product-market fit is not an absolute Favorite book:  From Impossible to Inevitable: How SaaS and Other Hyper-Growth Companies Create Predictable Revenue

In today's episode of Category Visionaries we speak with Wade Arnold, CEO and Founder of Moov, an embedded payments platform that's raised $77.5 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Wade’s background across several companies, and his frustration at payment platforms that are built on top of outdated infrastructure The entrepreneurs and authors that most inspire Wade Why less than 8% of SaaS companies have payments integrated into their platforms, and how Moov helps them change that The roller-coaster of being an entrepreneur, including getting too excited and taking premature decisions Why the one piece of advice Wade would give to his younger self goes against what every startup book says   Favorite book:  WTF? What’s the Future and Why It’s Up to Us

In today's episode of Category Visionaries we speak with Jonathan Dambrot, CEO and Founder of Cranium, an AI security and trust platform that's raised $32 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Jonathan’s background as an entrepreneur, including his time at KPMG and the opportunities of working in a big company  The importance of exchanging with peers, and the value of family for Jonathan How Cranium helps companies address threats to their AI systems Why regulation can hamper innovation and harm small enterprises What Jonathan has learned from fundraising, and why he’d advise his younger self to plan for large changes   Favorite book:  Man’s Search for Meaning

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with James Bates, CEO and Founder of AdviNOW Medical, an AI healthcare automation company that's raised $24 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: James’ background in the healthcare industry, including experience working in Japan and what it taught him Why so many physicians spend a significant portion of their time on clerical work and regulatory tasks, rather than delivering care Burnout and stress in the medical sector, and why freeing up physicians with automation means a higher quality, as well as more quantity, care How AdviNOW aims to mimic the brain functions of their potential clients in medical care and administration The future of healthcare in an automation-first economy, and what innovation means for everyone’s medical experience   Favorite book:  Lifespan: Why We Age―and Why We Don't Have To

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 Itzik Cohen, CEO & Co-Founder of PayZen, a healthcare affordability platform that's raised $240 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Healthcare Affordability Focus: PayZen addresses the growing problem of healthcare affordability by offering solutions that help patients manage their out-of-pocket expenses and ensure healthcare providers get paid. Innovative Payment Solutions: The platform offers interest-free payment plans and pre-care access cards, simplifying the process for patients and providers, ensuring better financial health for both parties. Data-Driven Approach: PayZen's solutions are heavily data-driven, focusing on automating processes like charity care and Medicaid eligibility to help patients get the financial assistance they need. Early Customer Strategy: Itzik emphasized the importance of starting with pilot programs and success-based revenue models to build trust and credibility with early customers in the healthcare space. Complex Industry Simplification: Despite the complexity of healthcare payments, PayZen's technology integrates seamlessly with existing systems like Epic MyChart, making the process straightforward for users. Sustained Growth and Innovation: With a vision of becoming a trusted brand in healthcare payments, PayZen aims to expand its solution set, address more use cases, and maintain its innovative edge as it grows. //   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 today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Kourosh Davarpanah, Co-Founder and CEO of Inato, a global clinical trial platform that's raised over $35 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Kourosh’s background coming from a family of doctors, fainting on the sight of blood, and being passionate about math and physics Why Kourosh finds Airbnb inspiring  How less than 5% of the patient population have access to clinical trials, why this is a problem, and how Inato helps pharma companies coordinate with hospitals to offer the right trials to their patients The chicken-and-egg problem of marketplace platforms, and how Kourosh dealt with it How to build credibility, and the danger of overfitting when working with only one client   Favorite book:  Complexity: The Emerging Science at the Edge of Order and Chaos

In today's episode of Category Visionaries we speak with Kyle Hanslovan, CEO and Co-Founder of Huntress, a managed security platform that's raised $160 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Kyle’s background in offensive cyber operations, and common misconceptions about government intelligence work Running a startup in his twenties while having three kids, and the importance – and feasibility – of work-life balance Why most small- and medium-sized companies are vulnerable to hacker attacks, and how Huntress helps them stay protected Having investors who want you to pivot to a different audience, and the crucial importance of having one or two co-founders The importance of visiting Silicon Valley a few times each year, why humility is a strength, and relieving other people’s impostor syndrome Favorite book:  Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Andrew Wolfe, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Bloomfilter, an AI-driven process mining platform that's raised $7 million in funding. Topics Discussed: Andrew’s background as a teenage coder in the early days of the Internet Why the entrepreneur that most inspires Andrew is John D. Rockefeller How 78% of software products are late, over budget, or don't ship at all – and what Bloomfilter does to help developers identify issues in their processes Leaving a job with an 8-figure salary in order to pursue something that pays less – but is more rewarding Having your product placed by analysts in a different category than the one you see it in, and how to fight that   Favorite book:  Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Neil Thanedar, Founder and GP of Utopic Ventures. Topics Discussed: Neil's Entrepreneurial experiences in product development for pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and supplement firms The broken funding model for science-based startups, and how that led to establishing Utopic Ventures Advocating for early-stage startups, particularly in the biotech sector, to foster scientific innovation and nurture potential founders Using high-resolution funding and Safe notes for startups to secure initial capital and get started with minimal investment Future funding interests for Utopic Ventures, from late-stage clinical trials to biotech work