Category Visionaries

Tyler Strand, Co-Founder and CTO at Air: $38 Million raised to Build the Creative Operations Category

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 Tyler Strand, Co-Founder & CTO of Air Labs, a creative operations platform that has raised $28 Million in funding.
 
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
 
Problem Identification: Tyler explains the challenge creative teams face in managing large volumes of digital assets and how Air Labs provides a solution.
Journey to Product Market Fit: The evolution of Air Labs’ focus over two to three years to zero in on specific pain points and target customers.
Early Customer Acquisition: The hands-on approach Tyler and his team took to land their first paying customers and build trust.
Creative Operations vs. DAM: How Air Labs differentiates itself from traditional Digital Asset Management systems by focusing on active collaboration and workflow efficiency.
Growth Metrics: Air Labs now serves thousands of businesses worldwide, with substantial ARR and a growing user base, reflecting their successful market penetration.
Future Vision: Tyler's aspiration for Air Labs to become the GitHub of the creative world, serving as the connective tissue for creative processes.
 

Jean Le Bouthillier, CEO of Qohash: $20 Million Raised to Build the Future of Data Security

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Jean Le Bouthillier, CEO of Qohash, a data security platform that's raised $20 Million in funding.
Topics Discussed:
Jean’s background in defense as an officer in the Canadian Military and a tactical helicopter pilot
Why Jean decided to quit the military to found his own company, and the lessons he learned from his time as an officer
The difficulties regulated entities have in keeping customer data safe and following regulations, and how Qohash helps them do that
Why it’s difficult to get client reviews when your product is data security tools
The tech industry in Canada as compared to the US 
 
Favorite book: 
The Qualified Sales Leader: Proven Lessons from a Five Time CRO

Prakash Chandran, Co-Founder and CEO of Xano.com: $5.4 Million Raised to Build the Next Generation of No-Code Backend Development

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Prakash Chandran, Co-Founder and CEO of Xano, a No-Code backend development platform that's raised $5.4 Million in funding.
Topics Discussed:
Prakash’s background in tech and his time working at Google
Why Prakash admires the CEO of AirBnb, and why he loves books that teach readers to shape their lives through action
The lack of enterprise-ready tools for software engineering in the tech industry, and how Xano uses No-Code to allow people to build software without limits
Why community-led growth is crucial when serving developers
What tools Prakash used to shift and improve the messaging for Xano over time
 
Favorite book:
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

Shaily Garg, CEO and Founder of GlobalFair: $22 Million Raised to Create the Future of Cross-Border Procurement

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Shaily Garg, CEO and Founder of GlobalFair, a building materials procurement platform that's raised $22 Million in funding.
Topics Discussed:
Shaily’s background as a civil engineer from a very small cords manufacturing family in India, and how this background helped her start GlobalFair
Why Shaily admires billionaire entrepreneur Ambani Mukesh
How GlobalFair is using technology to make cross-border procurement as easy and hassle-free as buying from a next-door neighbor
How Covid contributed to the launch of GlobalFair
The importance of agility and finding the right customer and business model, and why storytelling is a skill every fundraiser must have
 
Favorite book:
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It

Dipanwita Das, CEO and Co-Founder of Sorcero: Over $20 Million Raised to Power Medical Affairs Teams of the Future

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Dipanwita Das, CEO and Co-Founder of Sorcero, an AI platform for medical affairs teams that's raised over $20 Million in funding.
Topics Discussed:
Dipanwita’s background at the intersection between data and public health, and how technology is ushering in a new era of patient care
How Sorcero supports medical affair’s teams in making data-driven decisions, and ensuring proper prescription of medications
Differentiating themselves by being a product-focused company addressing specific business challenges
Working with AstraZeneca to deploy real-world medical solutions to the market and making a real impact
Measuring success by tangible changes and improvements brought to the medical affairs field, more than just profit margins
 
Favorite book: 
The Lord of the Rings
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Catch 22

Tom Tovar, CEO and Co-Founder of AppDome: Over $26 Million Raised to Build the Future of Mobile App Security

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Tom Tovar, CEO and Co-Founder of AppDome, a mobile dev ops platform that’s raised over $26 Million in funding.
Topics Discussed:
Tom’s TikTok celebrity dog, and why his love of dogs influenced Tom’s decision to move to San Francisco
Tom’s background in law and his switch to tech
The challenges of app protection, and why AppDome is approaching a billion mobile end users protected
Why Tom advises Founders “never to tell yourself you are right” and “have something that everyone can get behind”
How to maintain a leading position within the category you are creating
 
Favorite book: 
Paradox of Choice

Olga Chin, CEO and Founder of InterPrice Technologies: Over $10 Million Raised to Build the Future of Capital Markets Treasury Management

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Olga Chin, CEO and Founder of InterPrice Technologies, a capital markets treasury management platform that's raised over $10 Million.
Topics Discussed:
Olga’s background in investment banking and her experience guiding large companies through bond transactions
Why getting support from family and loved one can be ‘half the battle’ when it comes to building a business
The InterPrice Technologies’ value proposition, and why treasury management can be so important
Giving clients a new way to think about the products and services in an existing category, and acquisition through familiarity
Customer evangelism and the importance of word-of-mouth to drive growth
 
Favorite book: 
Learn How To Take A Punch: Building Your Startup Isn't A Marathon, It's A Prizefight

Hikari Senju, CEO and Founder of Omneky: $10 Million Raised to Empower Brands With AI-Powered Ads To Maximize Performance

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Hikari Senju, CEO and Founder of Omneky, an ad tech platform that's raised over $10 Million in funding.
Topics Discussed:
Hikari’s background in tech, and what it was like coming from a tech-focused family background
Having a long-term fascination with AI technology and the potential power of generative models
The Omneky approach of generating content with the best distribution across a whole range of platforms, supported by customer feedback and review
Omneky’s success in securing ‘sticky customers’ who keep their revenue retention high
The future prospects for Omenky’s growth, and why it’s of paramount importance that they keep a laser focus
 
Favorite book: 
Titan: Life of John D.Rockefeller Sr.

Kaitlyn Albertoli, CEO and Co-Founder of Buzz Solutions: Nearly $6 Million Raised to Build the Future of Infrastructure Inspection

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Kaitlyn Albertoli, CEO and Co-Founder of Buzz Solutions, an infrastructure inspection platform that's raised nearly $6 Million in funding.
Topics Discussed:
Kaitlyn’s career background and the track which led her to focus on sustainability, from selling chocolate to automated infrastructure inspections
The origins of Buzz Solutions, and how automating the analysis of existing visual data led to a whole new market category
The power of ‘computer vision’ at the heart of Buzz Solutions’ offering, and how it grants new levels of efficiency to their clients
Why infrastructure inspections are a critical component of a more sustainable economy, and what it means for our planet
The importance of patience in settling into a new market category, and why, with the right idea, your time will always come
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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
 

Sophie Novati, CEO and Founder of Formation: $9 Million Raised to Build a Virtual Fellowship Program for Software Engineers

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 Sophie Novati, CEO and Founder of Formation, a virtual fellowship program for software engineers that has raised $9 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Tech-Driven Education: Sophie emphasizes the importance of using engineering and product thinking to solve education problems at scale, leading to Formation's adaptive learning platform.
Unconditional Support: Formation offers unlimited technical training until participants secure a signed offer letter, a unique value proposition in the training program space.
Dynamic Curriculum: Every lesson and assignment at Formation is dynamically computed based on individual performance, ensuring personalized and effective learning experiences.
Mentorship Model: Formation's mentors, who are compensated but primarily driven by impact, provide just-in-time mentorship based on students' real-time needs and challenges.
Navigating Market Changes: Sophie discusses how the current job market has become more competitive, necessitating longer job hunts and more rigorous preparation for software engineers.
Commitment to DEI: Formation partners with companies like Netflix to support diversity hiring initiatives, aiming to build a more inclusive and equitable workforce.