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 Ilya Preston, CEO & Co-Founder of Paxafe, a decision intelligence platform for temperature-controlled logistics that has raised $14 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Founding Paxafe: Paxafe was founded in 2018 to address inefficiencies in temperature-controlled logistics. Initially, the company offered IoT devices for real-time location tracking, but they eventually pivoted to focus on decision intelligence, optimizing cold chain processes. From Sensors to Intelligence: While sensors and IoT devices have helped track goods, the real issue remains in converting that data into actionable insights. Paxafe’s platform helps companies reduce waste and improve decision-making by offering a more comprehensive approach to supply chain management. Market Evolution: Paxafe transitioned from being categorized as a risk management platform to focusing on decision intelligence. Unlike competitors optimizing for black swan events, Paxafe's value lies in improving day-to-day decision-making, such as routing optimization and carrier selection. Building the GTM Function: Paxafe didn't set up a formal marketing function until after closing their Series A. Since then, they have focused on standing up inbound and outbound processes, showing how GTM can rapidly accelerate growth when implemented strategically. Effective Marketing Strategies: Conferences have been a high ROI channel for Paxafe, allowing them to engage with cross-functional teams. Consistent and high-quality content creation has also proven to be a key driver for pipeline expansion. The Importance of Clear Fundraising Processes: Ilya emphasized the importance of running a tight fundraising process with clear communication, goals, and timelines. Early on, he learned the importance of being explicit about whether you’re fundraising during investor meetings to avoid confusion later. //   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

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 Karoli Hindriks, Founder of Jobbatical, a relocation visa support platform that has raised $23 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Simplifying Global Mobility: Jobbatical is working to make relocating to a new country as simple as booking a flight, leveraging AI and automation to streamline the employee visa process, cutting costs and reducing friction for both individuals and HR teams. Pivoting to Meet Customer Needs: Originally starting as a cross-border recruitment platform, Jobbatical pivoted in 2019 to focus solely on solving the relocation challenges their customers highlighted, such as visa management. Embracing Borderless Living Technology: Karoli describes Jobbatical as a creator of “borderless living technology,” aiming to build a new category that transcends traditional immigration tech and adapts to the modern, highly mobile workforce. Service Layer on Top of SaaS: Jobbatical blends software with a service layer, automating tasks like filling out visa forms and reducing manual work, significantly enhancing the user experience. Tackling Legacy Providers: Jobbatical is disrupting both large immigration law firms and internal HR teams by offering a more cost-effective and seamless solution to global relocation. Future Vision: Karoli envisions a world where the current paper passport becomes obsolete, replaced by a digital identity that makes global relocation frictionless, supported by AI-driven platforms like Jobbatical.   //   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  

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 Elad Ferber, CEO & Co-Founder of Synthpop, a healthcare technology company that's raised over $8 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Synthpop's Vision: Synthpop is leveraging AI to revolutionize healthcare administration by streamlining back-office functions, which Elad sees as the biggest opportunity to transform the industry. Prior Experience with Spry Health: After leading Spry Health, Elad learned that healthcare systems are slow to adopt change, even with great products. This drove him to build a faster-growing healthcare company. Fast GTM Traction: Synthpop achieved impressive growth, reaching nationwide scale and processing over one million administrative tasks in just 17 months, a milestone that took them less than six months to reach with their first paying customer. Category Focus: Synthpop operates in highly consolidated verticals such as durable medical equipment and diagnostic testing. This focus has enabled rapid adoption and clear value delivery in less traditional healthcare settings. Positioning as "Labor, Not Software": Synthpop positions itself as a labor solution, not a SaaS product, differentiating by automating repetitive administrative tasks such as insurance verification, reducing labor costs for healthcare providers. Composable Intelligence as the Future: Elad believes that in the next five years, AI will simply be viewed as scalable intelligence, with Synthpop at the forefront as a composable intelligence platform for healthcare providers.   //   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

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 Siddharth Sridharan, CEO & Co-Founder of Spendflo, a SaaS spend management platform that has raised $15.4 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Spendflo's Unique Offering: Spendflo not only provides SaaS procurement automation but also acts as a virtual procurement team that guarantees savings by negotiating and managing software renewals. SaaS + Service Layer Model: Sid believes the future of SaaS will likely include a service layer for specific segments like mid-market customers, but it won’t be universal across all verticals. Market Fit and Customer Profile: Sid emphasizes the importance of understanding your ideal customer profile (ICP) deeply and tailoring offerings to fit their specific needs and stages of their growth. The Pandemic Opportunity: Spendflo's founding during the pandemic was advantageous as SaaS spending surged, allowing the company to identify and capitalize on a widespread problem faced by CFOs. Event Marketing Strategy: After initial cold outbound struggles, Sid highlights the importance of in-person event marketing combined with account-based marketing for mid-market engagement, including creative approaches like hosting pickleball events. Fundraising Lessons: Sid attributes fundraising success to a combination of early traction, a strong team, and a clear vision, supported by participating in programs like Accel Atoms that structure the fundraising journey.   //   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

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 Pujun Bhatnagar, CEO & Co-Founder of Kintsugi, a sales tax automation platform that's raised $8.2 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Sales tax compliance on autopilot: Kintsugi simplifies the complex process of sales tax management, integrating with platforms like Shopify and QuickBooks to automate tax calculations, filings, and compliance with over 48 U.S. jurisdictions. Post-2018 legal shifts created opportunity: The South Dakota vs. Wayfair ruling radically changed sales tax collection, sparking Pujun's idea for Kintsugi as businesses began grappling with new compliance challenges based on customer location rather than business headquarters. Avalara's gap in the market: Pujun observed that incumbents like Avalara were slow to adapt to these legal shifts, leaving a gap for Kintsugi to fill with a more nimble, AI-driven solution. Product-led growth through a seamless onboarding: Kintsugi's GTM strategy focuses on providing immediate value—offering users a self-service platform where they can onboard and see their tax liabilities in minutes, without lengthy sales interactions. Building trust through transparency: To build trust in a sensitive area like taxes, Kintsugi offers detailed, auditable reports and a guarantee that covers penalties if errors occur. They focus on transparency and reliability. Scaling fast with the right team: Pujun emphasized the importance of assembling a strong team, scaling from 3 to 47 employees in 10 months, and aiming for exponential growth, with a goal to 10x their revenue in the next 12 months.   //   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  

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 Jake Schuster, CEO & Founder of Gemini Sports Analytics, a sports analytics platform that's raised $7 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Gemini Sports Analytics enables data-driven decisions in sports: Jake identified a gap in the sports industry—where advanced data tools used in other sectors were missing. His platform empowers general managers and decision-makers at professional, collegiate, and Olympic teams to directly interact with data, helping them make informed decisions without needing data science expertise. Sports management is decades behind in data sophistication: Jake highlighted how many sports organizations, run like overgrown family offices, lag behind Fortune 500 companies in using modern data tools. Private equity groups are starting to bring financial services-level sophistication into the sports industry, creating a market opportunity for Gemini. Early product missteps helped shape Gemini’s current focus: The company's initial product was built for the wrong user, focusing too much on data scientists. Jake quickly pivoted, shifting focus to non-technical decision-makers who want direct access to insights without relying on analysts. Pivots came from feedback and honest founder reflection: After six months of product discovery, Jake realized the market for the initial version wasn’t there. He emphasizes the importance of not being too stubborn, even when doggedly trying to make something work, and being open to necessary pivots. Creating a new budget line item for teams is challenging: Jake shared that Gemini is pioneering a new workflow for sports organizations, which means teams must create new budget categories for the platform. He compares Gemini’s pricing to hiring additional staff to help teams understand the value. Jake’s solo founder journey as a non-technical leader: As a non-technical founder, Jake turns his naivety into a strength by challenging his team to accomplish things without being limited by perceived technological constraints. He has built a strong engineering team to execute on his ambitious 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

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 Jeremy Almond, CEO & Founder of Paystand, a B2B payment network that has raised over $100 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Venmo for Enterprise: Paystand is a next-gen B2B payment network that saves companies millions of dollars by providing radically better economics, processing over $10 billion in payments and supporting around a million businesses. Building Through Focus: Jeremy emphasized the importance of staying focused. Paystand's growth is attributed to a brick-by-brick approach, first targeting specific markets like Oracle and Microsoft ecosystems before expanding. Scaling Milestones: Key company milestones were centered around unlocking the next stage of growth—from securing initial customers to making sales repeatable, and then scaling the business through focused enterprise sales strategies. Blockchain Innovation: Paystand’s payment platform is powered by blockchain, offering instant, automatic payments at zero cost, without reliance on traditional systems like Visa or Mastercard. Real Business Value, Not Blockchain Hype: While Jeremy is a believer in blockchain, he insists Paystand sells based on real value to customers, such as instant payments and reducing costs, not blockchain hype. The Next 10 Years: Jeremy envisions a future where businesses use blockchain infrastructure, replacing legacy systems like Visa and Mastercard, ultimately creating more efficient, tax-free financial ecosystems for companies globally.   //   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

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 Allen Narcisse, Founder & CEO of Gigs, a blue collar hiring platform that has raised $5.7 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Combining Rigorous Data and Empathy: Allen shares how his experiences at Uber and Lyft influenced his approach to Gigs. By integrating Uber's data-driven rigor with Lyft's empathy for workers, Gigs aims to provide both high-tech solutions and compassionate user experience. Empowering Job Seekers: Gigs addresses the issue of low engagement in job applications by empowering users with better job information. The platform focuses on providing detailed job descriptions, pay transparency, and location specifics to enhance job seeker engagement. Marketplace Dynamics: Allen discusses overcoming the chicken-and-egg problem by initially focusing on job availability before job seekers. This approach ensures that job seekers have a meaningful number of opportunities upon joining the platform. Creating High-Intent Job Seekers: Gigs aims to improve job matching by offering comprehensive job details that are often missing from traditional job boards. This strategy enhances job seeker readiness and improves the hiring process for employers. Strategic Job Seeker Acquisition: Allen reveals how Gigs targets job seekers by focusing on specific job listings and their related data. This targeted approach not only optimizes user acquisition but also lowers customer acquisition costs (CAC). Branding Strategy: The branding of Gigs is designed to stand out from traditional job boards. With a bold red color and minimalist design, Gigs aims to convey simplicity and friendliness, contrasting with the more corporate feel of existing job platforms.   //   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 Hersh Tapadia, CEO of Allstacks. Topics Discussed: An intersectional career between engineering and biomedicine, how Hersh found a career between disciplines Stakeholder expectations, unexpected challenges and what ‘delivering’ really means Solving the surprise issue, and why everyone wants to plan for an anticipated outcome Harmony, building teams, and why individual accomplishment isn’t enough for success Why value stream intelligence gives employees the tools to create a more satisfying, meaningful workplace experience   Favorite book:  The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

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 Alvas, CEO & Co-Founder of Entro Security, a non-human identity management platform that has raised $24 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Military Experience Taught Perseverance: Itzik credits his time in the Israeli Defense Force, specifically in the cyber intelligence unit, for shaping his approach to perseverance. This has been crucial in overcoming challenges as an entrepreneur. Non-Human Identity Management Innovation: After multiple cybersecurity breaches in his previous roles, Itzik identified a massive gap in managing non-human identities and secrets. This personal experience directly led to the creation of Entro Security. Early Days Post-Seed Raise: The first few months after securing seed funding were highly operational—setting up offices, building the team, and finding early design partners to provide feedback on their solution. Creating a New Market Category: Entro Security is pioneering the non-human identity management space, addressing the growing issue of programmatic credentials that are often mishandled by DevOps teams, posing significant security risks. Unique, Memorable Branding: Unlike traditional cybersecurity companies, Entro’s branding is youthful, fun, and memorable, a conscious choice to stand out in an industry that often feels sterile and overly serious. Go-To-Market Approach: Entro’s sales efforts are focused on direct sales and channel partnerships, with a primary focus on the US market. Itzik emphasizes the importance of aligning go-to-market strategies with event participation based on specific goals like lead generation or brand awareness.   //   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