BUILDERS

Fabi Riesen, CEO and Founder of Loft Dynamics: Over $29 Million Raised to Build the Future of Flight Training

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 Fabi Riesen, CEO & Founder of Loft Dynamics, a flight training platform that's raised over $29 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Loft Dynamics: The only company with qualified simulators using head-mounted virtual reality display technology, offering a revolutionary visual system for professional flight training.
Origin Story: The idea for Loft Dynamics originated from Fabi’s passion for aviation and his experience with early virtual reality technology, leading to the founding of the company in 2016.
Validation: The European Aviation Authority's interest in 2018 validated their innovative approach and helped pivot the project into a business, leading to their first revenue-generating customers in 2019.
Market Expansion: Loft Dynamics has made flight simulators more affordable and accessible, opening up new markets including small helicopter operators and flight schools.
Marketing Strategy: The company's marketing strategy focuses on demonstrating the product's value by getting pilots to try the simulators, leveraging their immediate recognition of the technology's advantages.
Investor Alignment: Fabi emphasizes the importance of aligning investors with the company's passion and vision, which has been crucial in securing $29 million in funding to date.
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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

Matthew Sydney, CEO & Founder of Beanstalk Benefits: $7.5 Million Raised to Build the Future of On-Demand Employee Benefits

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 Matthew Sydney, CEO & Founder of Beanstalk Benefits, an on-demand benefits platform that's raised $7.5 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Evolving Benefits Landscape: Matthew discusses the immense growth in digital and virtual health companies, leading to a more complex benefits landscape for employers.
Beanstalk's Mission: Beanstalk aims to simplify benefits management by providing a scalable platform that offers various point solutions, making it easier for employers to meet diverse employee needs.
Target Market: Beanstalk focuses on employers in competitive markets with diverse workforces, offering them the tools to provide tailored benefits without overwhelming HR teams.
Effective Marketing: Leveraging brokers and consultants as influencers has been a key strategy for Beanstalk, helping to educate the market and drive adoption.
Fundraising Insights: Matthew highlights the importance of preparation and organization in fundraising, sharing lessons learned from previous ventures.
Future Vision: Beanstalk aims to provide on-demand benefits to every American, leveraging data to enhance user experience and expand into larger markets.
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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

Eric Helitzer, CEO & Founder of SubBase: $5 Million Raised to Innovate Construction Materials 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 Eric Helitzer, CEO & Founder of SubBase, a construction materials management platform that has raised $5 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Origins of SubBase: Eric's extensive background in construction management highlighted inefficiencies in material purchasing workflows, leading him to found SubBase in 2022.
Early Challenges: The first six months involved balancing software development with running multiple construction jobs, all while iterating on a promising MVP.
Initial Revenue Struggles: It took about a year to start generating revenue, with initial reluctance to charge for the software proving to be a significant learning experience.
Go-to-Market Strategy: SubBase’s GTM approach includes leveraging word-of-mouth, outbound efforts, marketing, and educational events to drive adoption.
Convincing the Industry: Eric discussed the challenges of persuading construction subcontractors to adopt new technology, emphasizing an approach that enhances existing workflows rather than disrupting them.
Future Vision: SubBase aims to digitize more of the financial aspects of material procurement, deepen integrations, and create a seamless onboarding experience for users.
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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

Danny Freed, CEO & Founder of Blueprint: $13.7 Million Raised to Build the Future of Therapist Enablement

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 Danny Freed, CEO & Founder of Blueprint, a therapist enablement platform that's raised $13.7 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Founding Story: Danny founded Blueprint after losing a close friend to bipolar disorder. His journey began with a personal mission to understand mental health care and evolved into creating Blueprint to help therapists utilize data more effectively.
Early Days: The first 90 days involved designing and building the initial product, getting it in front of potential users, and raising a small pre-seed round to hire the first engineer.
Achieving Product-Market Fit: Blueprint recently launched a new product that significantly boosted engagement and adoption, indicating strong product-market fit. This new product automates documentation, saving therapists valuable time.
Customer-Centric Development: Continuous engagement with therapists and iterating based on their feedback was crucial in developing a product that truly meets their needs.
Marketing Strategy: Blueprint focuses on reaching individual therapists directly, leveraging digital channels and community networks to build awareness and adoption.
Therapist Enablement Category: Originally focused on measurement-based care, Blueprint has expanded its scope to therapist enablement, providing a comprehensive suite of tools designed to enhance therapist efficiency and effectiveness.
 
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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
 

David DeWolf, CEO & President of Knownwell: $2 Million Raised to Build the Future of Commercial Intelligence

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 David DeWolf, CEO & President of Knownwell, a commercial intelligence platform that's raised $2 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Accidental Entrepreneur: David's journey began as a software engineer who accidentally transitioned into entrepreneurship, founding his first company, Three Pillar, which grew to 2,500 employees.
Leadership Philosophy: David emphasizes the importance of genuinely caring for his team while making tough decisions, creating a balance that fosters loyalty and respect.
Growth and Acquisition: David's approach to scaling Three Pillar involved six acquisitions, highlighting the strategic growth and integration of complementary businesses.
AI and the Future: Fascinated by AI, David’s new venture, Knownwell, focuses on applying AI to improve business operations and commercial relationships, aiming to create an intelligent operating system for enterprises.
Customer-Centric Development: David stresses the importance of genuine curiosity in customer conversations, using insights to guide product development and ensure alignment with market needs.
Thought Leadership: Knownwell's launch included a podcast to establish thought leadership in enterprise AI adoption, emphasizing the importance of first-mover advantage in a new market category.
 
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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
 

Steve Pomfret, CEO & Founder of Cygnetise: $8 Million Raised to Build the Future of Signatory 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 Steve Pomfret, CEO & Founder at Cygnetise, a signatory management platform that has raised $8 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Background in Operational Change: Steve spent 20 years working with large banks not as a banker but as a process expert, which laid the foundational skills for starting Cygnetise, designed to optimize signatory management processes.
Transition to Entrepreneurship: The confidence to start Cygnetise emerged from Steve’s experience as a freelance consultant, which bridged his transition from an operational expert to an entrepreneur.
Strategic Use of Blockchain: Rather than focusing on blockchain as a buzzword, Cygnetise leverages the technology for its immutability and efficiency, addressing specific operational inefficiencies in signatory management.
Category Creation and Education: Steve emphasizes the ongoing evolution and challenge of establishing a new category in the market, highlighting the crucial role of education and adapting marketing strategies.
Scaling Through Partnerships: Looking ahead, Cygnetise plans to accelerate growth by forming channel partnerships with large financial institutions and tech companies to expand its market reach dramatically.
Vision for the Future: Steve envisions Cygnetise becoming a dominant player in the market through strategic partnerships and expanding its customer base across diverse geographies and industries.
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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
 

Dan Beck, CEO & Co-Founder of 401GO: $14 Million Raised to Build the Future of Retirement Benefits for Small 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 Dan Beck, CEO & Co-Founder of 401GO, a retirement benefits platform that's raised over $14 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Diverse Entrepreneurial Background: Dan has a history of starting and exiting various businesses, ranging from consumer products to consultancy in China, and even a food truck.
Motivation for 401GO: Inspired by a personal finance class in college, Dan's goal was to make retirement savings accessible and easy for small businesses after struggling to set up a 401K for his employees.
Simplifying Complexity: 401GO focuses on reducing the complexity and cost traditionally associated with setting up 401Ks, allowing small businesses to set up a retirement plan in just 10-15 minutes.
Advisor-Centric Platform: The decision to build a platform that integrates financial advisors was crucial, providing both high-tech and high-touch service to clients.
Regulatory Tailwinds: State mandates requiring small businesses to offer retirement benefits have increased demand, positioning 401GO to capitalize on this growing market.
Sustainable Growth: 401GO has experienced consistent month-over-month growth of 8-10%, with a strong focus on partnerships with financial advisors and payroll companies driving this success.
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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

Allen Kramer, Co-Founder and COO of Crux: $27 Million Raised to Power the Future of Sustainable Finance

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 Kramer, Co-Founder & COO of Crux, a sustainable finance platform that has raised over $27 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Early Beginnings with Mobilize: Insights into the rapid growth and eventual sale of Mobilize, a volunteer mobilization platform, and the importance of mission-driven software.
Decision to Sell: The multifaceted considerations involved in selling Mobilize, including the alignment with the acquiring company’s values and the impact on the team.
Foundation of Crux: The conception of Crux amidst the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act and its aim to streamline the market for transferable tax credits.
Market Challenges and Opportunities: The unique challenges faced in a nascent market and how Crux leverages early customer research and strategic partnerships to drive growth.
Identifying ICPs: The process of identifying and targeting ideal customer profiles, from small renewable energy developers to Fortune 100 companies.
Go-to-Market Strategy: Building a strong brand through market intelligence, and the importance of multi-channel marketing efforts including conferences and deep industry relationships.
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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

Will Wilson, Co-Founder of Antithesis: $47 Million Raised to Build the Future of Autonomous Testing

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 Will Wilson, Co-Founder of Antithesis, an autonomous testing platform that's raised $47 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Origins and Motivation: Antithesis was born from the frustration of debugging and testing software, an experience shared by Will and his co-founder from their days at FoundationDB and Google.
Early Challenges: Building Antithesis required redefining foundational aspects of computing, including developing a unique hypervisor for virtual machines.
Stealth Mode Strategy: The company stayed in stealth for an extended period, allowing them to refine their product while creating an aura of exclusivity in Silicon Valley.
Content-Driven Marketing: Antithesis has never paid for ads, relying instead on engaging, technical blog posts and nostalgic videos of Nintendo games to attract their developer audience.
Creating a New Category: Will emphasizes that autonomous testing is a new category, with Antithesis aiming to eliminate manual software testing and improve developer productivity. 
Developer Trust: Building trust with developers involves transparency about product limitations and a straightforward, no-hype approach.
 
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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
 

Felix Rodriguez, CEO & Founder of Finally: $110 Million Raised to Power the Future of Finance 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 Felix Rodriguez, CEO & Founder of Finally, a finance automation platform that's raised over $110 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Vision and Rebranding: Felix shared the compelling story behind acquiring the domain "Finally" from a successful entrepreneur by pitching the vision of an all-in-one financial platform for businesses.
Evolution of Tech: Comparing his first startup in 2003 to Finally, founded in 2019, Felix highlighted the advancements in technology, such as APIs and AI, which have significantly simplified and accelerated building new products.
Trust in Finance Automation: Addressing the critical issue of trust, Felix emphasized the importance of accurate data ingestion and robust systems to avoid errors and build confidence with users.
Target Market and Focus: Finally focuses on small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and medium-sized enterprises, aiming to simplify their financial operations by integrating multiple functions into one platform.
Importance of Team and Vision: Felix underscored the significance of building a great team, having a clear vision, and executing flawlessly as key factors for success in winning the market.
Inside Sales Success: Building an inside sales team has been a home run for Finally, enhancing their ability to convert leads and reduce customer acquisition costs (CAC) effectively.
 
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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