Category Visionaries

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Matthew Stoudt, CEO and Founder of AppliedVR, a virtual reality therapeutics platform that's raised over $70 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Matthew’s background as a kid entrepreneur who sold stuff in school, and studying investment banking The first startups Matthew built and why it’s important to stick to your vision instead of chasing what is hot right now  Entrepreneurs Matthew admires, collecting experiences rather than material things, and the most touching experience he’s had on a trip The staggering numbers of people who suffer from chronic pain around the world, and what AppliedVR is doing to change that Matthew’s vision for the future of his company

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 Spencer Thompson, CEO & Co-Founder of Prelude Security, a continuous security testing platform that's raised over $30 Million in funding Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Emergence from a School to a Security Platform: Prelude started as a cybersecurity training school before pivoting to its current form, integrating education and cybersecurity innovation into one platform. Continuous Security Testing Explained: Prelude helps companies assess if they are vulnerable to specific cyber threats by running safe, simulated attacks on their systems, addressing the fundamental question, "Are we vulnerable to this?" Strategic Branding and Messaging: Prelude distinguishes itself from typical cybersecurity firms with a focus on foundational science and transparency, avoiding the fear-based marketing common in the industry. Impact of SEC Rulings on Cybersecurity: Spencer discussed the recent SEC rulings requiring public companies to disclose material breaches, a regulation that aligns with Prelude's mission to provide continuous, real-time security assessments. Customer-Centric Development: Emphasizing the importance of extensive customer discovery, Spencer highlighted how engaging deeply with customers has shaped Prelude's product and go-to-market strategy. Vision for National Scale Intelligence: Spencer envisions Prelude scaling to millions of endpoints, providing proactive security intelligence and transforming the reactive nature of current cybersecurity practices. //   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 Dylan Etkin, CEO and Co-Founder of Sleuth, an engineering efficiency platform that's raised $25 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Dylan’s career background as an engineer and engineering manager, and contributions to important products like Jira and Bitbucket Transitioning from engineer to CEO, new responsibilities and the importance of product-market fit Why so many engineering teams struggle with bottlenecks, and how automated tools can enhance their processes How DORA metrics established themselves as the gold-standard for efficiency monitoring, and integrating them into Sleuth’s solution Building a unique marketing approach based on sponsoring industry reports and thought leaders in the space   Favorite book:  The Phoenix Project: A Novel about IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win

Welcome to another episode of Category Visionaries — the show that explores GTM stories from tech's most innovative B2B founders. In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Chris Hare, CEO of PRTI, a waste-to-energy company that's raised over $25 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Chris’ experience in various industries and leadership roles, and his long-term passion for innovation and building teams PRTI’s automated thermal-processing technology, breaking down tires into a gas stream, liquid oil, solid fuel, and steel Why the magnitude of the tire waste problem attracted the interest of large-scale, institutional investors Overcoming significant challenges related to automating a manual process, unexpected performance issues and adapting approaches Strong storytelling and open communication as crucial elements for effectively engaging investors //   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 Omer Glass, Co-Founder and CEO of GrowthSpace, a skill mastery platform that has raised $44 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Omer’s background in Behavioural Economics, his first (failed) startup and the lessons he learned about B2B and B2C What creating a “culture of excellence” in an enterprise means in practical terms How GrowthSpace contributes to human-to-human development within companies by using data to understand pain points What sets GrowthSpace apart from competitors The advice Omer would give his past self about fundraising   Favorite book:  Free Prize Inside: How to Make a Purple Cow

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Ankit Ratan, Co-Founder and CEO of Signzy, a digital onboarding infrastructure platform that's raised over $38 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Ankit’s financial services background, and the personal experiences which led him to found Signzy The challenges modern banks face in transitioning to digital processes and collaborating with external ecosystems. How the conversation around digital transformations for banks shifted from uncertainty to necessity The appeal of digital onboarding for customers and how Signzy intends to create a ‘Netflix’ experience for the banking sector Fundraising insights focused on how founders need to focus on demonstrating real-world customer problem solving 

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Matthew O’Riordan, CEO of Ably Realtime, a real time experience infrastructure platform that's raised over $82 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Matthew’s background growing up in South Africa, before eventually moving to the UK to found his first tech startup Holding various roles across a career, including CTO and CEO, and having a lifelong passion for coding Admiration for the Collison Brothers, founders of Stripe, for their focus on an excellent experience and empowering developers How GoogleDocs inspired the idea for Ably Realtime, and how they intend to standout by creating more interactive applications The challenges faced by companies across numerous sectors in ensuring sub-100 millisecond latency for a true real-time feel   Favorite book:  No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with DeVaris Brown, CEO and Co-Founder of Meroxa, a stream processing data application platform that's raised over $19 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: DeVaris’ background before launching Meroxa at some of technology’s biggest names, including Twitter, Microsoft and Zendesk Growing up inspired by his grandparents' entrepreneurial endeavors, and the dot-com, to one day become an tech entrepreneur How Meroxa helps developers move data around with ease, removing the need for specialized knowledge across different data systems Working with Government Agencies including the Air Force, Space Force, and NASA, handling complex real-time data challenges. Deciding to work with government agencies while aiming to ensure any contributions align with their standards.   Favorite book:  Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Dave Mor, CEO and Co-Founder of OneLayer, a cyber security platform dedicated to private cellular networks that's raised $15 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Dave’s background, which includes serving in the Israeli Defense Force for 15 years, specializing in cybersecurity and technology innovation How the Israeli tech sector gained a fearless reputation for a mindset of tackling security challenges fearlessly, even against giants. the challenge of connectivity in enterprise IoT and industrial settings, and why so many firms opt for private 5G network solutions OneLayer’s impressive growth trajectory, and how they handle deploying security solutions across a range of different geographies Why seamless integration is central to the OneLayer security offering, and how it has helped them scale along with their growth

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Daniel Turner, CEO of TRAXyL, an optical fiber installation company that's raised over $5 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Daniel’s early background, his education in computer science, and his time working in the intelligence community How living in DC and witnessing 9/11 shifted Daniel’s professional focus from game development to the intelligence sector How his father’s challenges with high-speed internet installation drew attention to a need for innovation in the installation industry Why a ‘minimally disruptive installation’ method means TRAXyL brings connection to people and places typically too challenging for fiber installation Making the transition from bootstrapping funding to finding success in a capital seed round, raising millions for further development