Category Visionaries

Zach Rash, CEO and Co-founder at Coco: $60 Million Raised to Bring Food Delivery Robots to Market

In today’s episode of Category Visionaries, we speak to Zach Rash, CEO and Co-founder of Coco, a food delivery robot that's raised $60 Million in funding.
Topics discussed: 
Zach’s background in mechanical engineering and wanting to build something for the physical world
Why Sam Altman, Coco’s largest investor, is an inspiration for Zach
Using tech and a remote work model to build a product that makes food delivery cheaper for merchants and buyers, and the ins and outs of Coco’s workings
Regulatory headaches, why Coco doesn’t steal jobs from human food deliverers, and how it contributes to sustainability
Dealing with competition, lessons learned from fundraising, and Zach’s view for the future of Coco
 
Favorite book:
Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

Troy Carter, CEO and Co-Founder of Earthshot Labs: $11 Million Raised to Power the Future of Ecosystem Conservation and Restoration

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 Troy Carter, CEO and Co-Founder of Earthshot Labs, an ecological restoration finance platform that's raised $11 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Troy’s background as a Stanford graduate, and also as founder of a successful cider company in the West Coast
Finding fulfillment in one’s professional and personal life, and improving organizations
How one can make environmental issues more personal and motivating for people, and what we can learn from stoicism
The way Earthshot Labs uses ecosystem forecasting to help people develop carbon reduction projects
Difficulties in the industry, and what Troy sees in the future of Earthshot Labs
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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
 

Ian White, Founder, CEO and CTO of ChartHop: $74 Million Raised to Build the Future of PeopleOps

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Ian White, Founder, CEO & CTO of ChartHop, a people ops platform that’s raised over $74 Million in funding.
Topics discussed:
Ian’s background as a student of both computer science and theater, and as a startup founder 
Building a new way of planning, managing, and supporting the people in an organization
Differences between being a CTO and a CEO
How ChartHop helps connect, visualize, and align people to empower organizations through insights, alignment, and action.
Lessons from getting his first customer, people operations, and community building
 
Favorite book:
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

Matthew Stoudt, CEO and Founder of AppliedVR: Over $70 Million Raised to Build the Future of Chronic Pain Relief

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

Spencer Thompson, CEO and Co-Founder of Prelude: Over $30 Million Raised to Build the Future of Continuous Security Testin

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.
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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

Dylan Etkin, CEO and Co-Founder of Sleuth: $25 Million Raised to Make Engineering Teams More Efficient

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

Chris Hare, CEO of PRTI: Over $25 Million Raised to Transform America’s Billions of Waste Tires into Valuable Commodities

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
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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
 

Omer Glass, Co-Founder and CEO of GrowthSpace: $44 Million Raised to Build the Future of Employee Development

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

Ankit Ratan, Co-Founder and CEO of Signzy: Over $38 Million Raised to Build the Future of Digital Onboarding Infrastructure

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 

Matthew O’Riordan, CEO of Ably Realtime: Over $82 Million Raised to Build the Future of Realtime Experience Infrastructure

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