Category Visionaries

Richard Potter, Co-Founder and CEO at Peak: $118 Million Raised to Power the Future of AI-Enabled Businesses

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 Richard Potter, CEO and Co-Founder of Peak, an AI platform that has raised $118 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
The Birth of Peak in the AI Landscape: Richard discusses the early vision for Peak in 2016, focusing on leveraging AI and machine learning to enhance business performance before the widespread AI boom.
Educating Early Adopters: The initial challenge was educating the market on AI's potential, with many early adopters excited but equally many skeptics unsure of AI's practicality due to the data maturity levels at the time.
Transitioning from Early Adopters to Mainstream Market: Richard outlines the shift in selling to early adopters versus mainstream adopters, emphasizing the need for certainty of outcomes and robust comparisons in the mainstream market.
Go-to-Market and Marketing Philosophy: Peak's approach to marketing has evolved from raising awareness and generating excitement to focusing on value creation and demonstrating tangible benefits of AI to businesses.
Navigating the Tech Recession and Future Optimism: Despite the challenges posed by the recent tech downturn, Richard shares a positive outlook for Peak's future, driven by strong current demand and growth.
Fundraising Strategy and Lessons Learned: Richard reflects on Peak's fundraising journey, the strategy of raising early and often without desperation, and the importance of being bold and visionary from the start.

Sudhir Bhojwani, Co-Founder and CEO of ORO Labs: $59 Million Raised to Power the Future of Procurement

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 Sudhir Bhojwani, CEO and Co-Founder of Oro Labs, a procurement platform that has raised $59 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: 
The Unique Value of the Bay Area: Sudhir reflects on his early experiences in Silicon Valley and how, despite the global flattening of the tech industry, the Bay Area's unique culture and access to venture capital continue to make it a special place for tech innovation.
Discovering a Passion for Procurement: Sudhir shares how his tenure at Ariba and SAP introduced him to the procurement sector, sparking a passion for solving the complex challenges within this space.
The Vision Behind Oro Labs: Describing Oro Labs as a smart procurement workflow orchestration platform, Sudhir outlines his ambition to bring procurement technology on par with CRM and marketing tech through a more integrated and flexible ecosystem of tools.
Educating the Market: The journey of educating the market about the concept of procurement orchestration and the challenge of defining a new category within the industry are highlighted as key steps in Oro Labs' path to success.
First Customer Wins: Sudhir emphasizes the importance of leveraging the founding team's reputation and expertise in procurement to secure early customers, underscoring trust in the team's ability to address and solve identified problems.
The Future of Procurement: Looking ahead, Sudhir envisions a future where Oro Labs has significantly reduced friction in procurement, improved supplier and buyer relationships, and positively transformed the procurement NPS.

Gabe Sibley, Founder and CEO of Verdant Robotics: $48 Million Raised to Build the Future of Autonomous Agriculture

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Gabe Sibley, CEO and Founder of Verdant Robotics, an autonomous agriculture company that's raised $48 Million in funding.
Topics Discussed: 
Gabe’s background in autonomous robotics, including other companies that he founded and worked in
The potential and pitfalls of self-driving cars
Inspirational people and books for Gabe
How Verdant harnesses computer vision and machine learning to create robots that help growers do more with less
The importance of dialogue with the customer, and an erroneous stereotype about farmers
 
Favorite book: 
Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water

Laura Kornhauser, Co-Founder and CEO at Stratyfy: $10 Million Raised to Power the Future of Financial Inclusion

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 Laura Kornhauser, CEO and Co-Founder of Stratyfy, a predictive analytics and decision management solutions provider that has raised $10 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Laura's Journey to Founding Stratify: Laura shares her transition from a decade-long career at JPMorgan Chase to entrepreneurship, influenced by her engineering background and a personal mission driven by her family's entrepreneurial spirit.
Inspiration from Literature: Laura discusses how "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "Oh, The Places You'll Go!" have significantly impacted her outlook as an entrepreneur, emphasizing lessons on societal issues and the entrepreneurial journey.
Stratify's Mission: Stratyfy is focused on enabling financial institutions to better understand customer risk through advanced analytics, aiming to improve financial inclusion by addressing structural biases within the financial system.
Early Challenges and Breakthroughs: Laura recounts the initial difficulty in convincing risk-averse financial institutions to adopt Stratyfy's innovative technology and the persistence required to secure their first customers.
Rapid Growth and Team Expansion: Over the past year, Stratyfy has seen a 400% increase in its customer base and nearly doubled its team size, testament to the company's impactful mission and innovative technology.
The Importance of Mission Alignment and Problem-Solving in Talent Attraction: Laura attributes Stratyfy's success in attracting top-tier talent to a shared commitment to their mission of financial inclusion and the opportunity to solve complex, meaningful problems.
 

Johannes Peeters, Co-Founder & CEO of VoxelSensors: $7 Million Raised to Build the Future of Spatial Computing

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 Johannes Peeters, CEO and Founder of Voxel Sensors, a 3D perception platform that has raised €7 Million in funding. 
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Voxel Sensors' Mission: Johannes introduced Voxel Sensors as a company dedicated to building the cornerstones for spatial and empathic computing, enhancing devices' ability to perceive and interact with the world in real-time and in all dimensions.
Early Challenges and Strategic Founding: Founding the company right as the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns began, Johannes and his team used this period to quietly lay down the company's foundation, patent filing, and strategic planning without external pressures.
Innovative Technology for a Range of Applications: Voxel Sensors is developing technology that dramatically improves power efficiency and reduces latency in 3D sensing, applicable in consumer electronics like smartphones and augmented reality, as well as in industrial settings.
The Dual Focus on Consumer Electronics and Industrial Applications: Johannes detailed how Voxel Sensors' technology is versatile enough to cater to both consumer and industrial markets, highlighting the specific adaptations and targeted strategies for each sector.
Marketing Philosophy and Go-To-Market Strategy: Despite initially minimal marketing efforts, Voxel Sensors has leveraged its industry connections, past experiences, and strategic board composition to engage with key players in the consumer electronics and industrial sectors.
Future Vision and Ethical Use of Technology: Looking ahead, Johannes envisions a world where augmented reality and digital interactions seamlessly blend with our physical world, emphasizing ethical usage and the ability to choose when to engage with digital enhancements.

Dave Copps, CEO of Worlds: $31 Million Raised to Power the Future of Industrial Automation

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 Dave Copps, CEO & Co-Founder at Worlds, an industrial metaverse platform that has raised $31 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Early AI Innovations: Dave discusses his early involvement in AI, predating the current hype, and how his fascination with corporate culture and anthropology led to pioneering work in semantic search and digital investigations.
Surviving the Dotcom Crash: Dave reflects on steering his first company through the turbulent dotcom crash, emphasizing the importance of resilience and the critical support of investors who are genuinely committed to the founder’s vision.
Transition from Back Office AI to Industrial Applications: Dave shares his journey from creating AI for back office applications to developing Worlds, which applies AI in real-world industrial settings, enhancing safety and operational efficiency.
Building a Market of One: Dave explains his strategy of creating unique products that do not just fill gaps in the market but also redefine the market itself, combining broad technological capabilities with innovative business models.
The Importance of Choosing the Right Investors: Reflecting on his experiences, Dave stresses the significance of selecting investors who align with the startup’s vision and are committed to supporting founders through challenges.
Vision for AI’s Future: Dave delves into his perspective on the future of AI, including the potential for AI to facilitate real-time, multimodal interactions between humans and machines, transforming how we manage and interact with industrial environments.

Kenneth Herschel, CEO and Co-Founder of Viggo: Nearly $6 Million Raised to Build the Future of EV Charging Infrastructure

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 Kenneth Herschel, CEO & Co-Founder at Viggo, a sustainable mobility platform that has raised nearly $6 Million in funding. 
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Origins in Electric Ride-Hailing: Kenneth outlines Viggo's start as a response to Uber's departure from Copenhagen, aiming to elevate the standard of taxi services with electric vehicles and superior technology.
Strategic Shift to EV Charging: The necessity for efficient charging for Viggo's fleet revealed a larger market need, prompting a significant pivot towards developing urban EV charging solutions.
Exponential Growth in EV Charging: With a 250% growth in the EV charging sector, Kenneth highlights this segment's rapid expansion as evidence of the burgeoning demand for reliable urban charging infrastructure.
Synergy Between Mobility and Charging: Kenneth discusses the operational harmony between Viggo's ride-hailing and EV charging units, leveraging the visibility and needs of one to enhance and expand the other.
European Expansion Insights: Venturing into new markets, Kenneth reflects on the challenges and immense opportunities of scaling Viggo's model across Europe, emphasizing the necessity of fast urban charging infrastructure.
The Power of Persistence: Through the trials of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kenneth emphasizes the critical role of persistence and belief in the face of adversity, underscoring a foundational principle for entrepreneurial resilience and success.
 

Jag Lamba, Founder and CEO of Certa: $52 Million Raised to Build the Future of Third-Party Management

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 Jag Lamba, CEO & Founder at Certa, a third-party management platform that has raised $52 Million in funding. 
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Origins in Consulting and Engineering: Jag's transition from engineering to business and eventually founding Certa was driven by his desire to build rather than consult, highlighting the shift from advisory roles to hands-on creation and leadership in technology.
Insightful Career Shifts: Experiences at McKinsey and handling venture capital initiatives provided Jag with exposure to high-caliber problem-solving and innovative product development, setting the stage for his entrepreneurial journey.
Inspirational Figures and Readings: Jag discusses how influential figures like Satya Nadella and non-business literature, including Bill Browder’s "Red Notice," have shaped his perspectives on leadership and the courage to innovate against significant odds.
Addressing a Universal Business Pain: The inception of Certa was rooted in Jag's realization of the inefficiencies in third-party risk management during his tenure at McKinsey, identifying a gap that Certa could fill.
Early Adoption by Major Clients: Jag’s commitment to not letting early adopters down and his flexibility in product development helped secure early trust and collaboration from significant enterprises, including Uber.
Future Vision for Certa: Looking ahead, Jag envisions a streamlined, almost instantaneous process for onboarding and collaborating with third parties, enhancing compliance and operational efficiency with a single click.

Julio Martínez, Co-Founder and CEO at Abacum: $40 Million Raised to Build the Future of FP&A

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 Julio Martinez, CEO & Co-Founder at Abacum, an FP&A platform that has raised $40 Million in funding. 
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Sabbatical Inspirations: Julio started with his transformative sabbatical in India, where he was immersed in microfinance, shaping his future perspective on business and finance.
Corporate Finance Roots: Julio’s journey into finance was not planned from childhood but developed from early career choices and opportunities that emphasized rapid learning and high-pressure environments.
Innovation at Banco Sabadell: Prior to Abacum, Julio led a venture builder and investment fund, initiating fintech innovations and investments across Europe and the U.S.
Launching During COVID-19: Starting Abacum at the outset of the pandemic required conviction and adaptation to severe market uncertainties, shaping the company’s resilient foundation.
Problem Definition and Impact: Abacum addresses the inefficiencies in financial teams’ operations by automating routine tasks, allowing focus on strategic analysis and timely decision-making.
Strategic Focus on Mid-Market: From the start, Abacum targeted the mid-market segment, recognizing the specific needs and potentials for impactful solutions beyond what small businesses or large enterprises require.

Sundeep Ravande, CEO and Co-Founder of Innovapptive: $42 Million Raised to Power the Connected Worker Revolution

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Sundeep Ravande, CEO and Co-Founder of Innovapptive, a connected worker platform that has raised $42 Million in funding.
Topics Discussed: 
Sundeep’s background in management consulting, and why he decided to start Innovapptive
Working with Fortune 500 companies, and how Innovapptive helps front-line workers connect with each other and with the back-office
Messaging and positioning, helping create a new category, and fundraising
Why Sundeep would advise his past self to raise money early on instead of bootstrapping for seven years
Why having a vision and pursuing it matters more than being a large player