BUILDERS

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

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 Vinoth Chandar, founder of Onehouse, a cloud-native data Lakehouse solution that has raised $33 Million in funding.   Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Vinoth's Rich Background: Vinoth has a deep technical background in database and distributed systems engineering, with significant stints at Oracle, LinkedIn, Uber, and Confluent before founding Onehouse. Innovating at Uber: Vinoth was part of the team at Uber that built the world's first Data Lakehouse in 2016, a precursor to the modern data Lakehouse concept, showcasing his pioneering work in data management. Lessons from Uber's Turbulent Times: Vinoth's time at Uber during its most tumultuous periods taught him resilience and the importance of a positive product impact, underscoring the critical role of culture and team dynamics in navigating challenges. Admiration for Linus Torvalds: Vinoth admires Linus Torvalds for demonstrating how open-source software can create immense value over time, reflecting on the transformative power of collaborative software development. Influential Reads: Books like "The Journey is the Reward," a biography of Steve Jobs, and "Crossing the Chasm" have profoundly impacted Vinoth, offering insights into market innovation and the importance of category creation. Onehouse's Mission: Onehouse aims to revolutionize data management with its faster, better, and cheaper cloud data infrastructure, leveraging Apache Hoodie to enable efficient data processing and management. Navigating Product Market Fit: Identifying and refining Onehouse's customer profile and value proposition in a crowded and noisy market has been a significant challenge, with open-source community engagement playing a crucial role in building credibility and trust. Future Vision: Vinoth envisions Onehouse completing its product story to bring an interoperable cloud data plane to life, focusing on managing and transforming data effectively for businesses.

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Brett Martin, President and Co-Founder of Kumospace, a virtual office platform that's raised $25 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Brett’s roles in addition to President of Kumospace, Co-Founder of Charge Ventures, and adjunct professor at Columbia Business School The different ways in which companies deploy Kumospace, either as a replacement for, or supplement to, other platforms How focusing on seamless conversation switching set Kumospace on the path to revolutionize the online meeting space The strategic approach Kumospace deployed to secure some big name clients like Harvard, LinkedIn and NASA The future of remote work and what it means for all of us in a digital-first future

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 Shalabh Singhal, CEO & Co-Founder of Trademo, a supply chain intelligence platform that's raised $12.5 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Vision for Supply Chain Intelligence: Shalabh explains how Trademo aims to build a single source of truth for global supply chains, providing intelligence, compliance, and risk management solutions. Impact of COVID-19: The pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in global supply chains, highlighting the need for robust solutions to manage disruptions. Unique Market Positioning: Trademo differentiates itself by integrating intelligence, compliance, and risk management into a single platform, addressing the complex needs of modern supply chains. Growth and Traction: Since launching, Trademo has seen impressive growth, with a month-on-month increase of over 100% in its first year. Content Marketing Strategy: Shalabh emphasizes the importance of founders driving content marketing in the early stages to set high standards and build trust. Fundraising Insights: Shalabh shares his approach to selecting investors who understand the industry and can offer valuable support beyond capital.