Category Visionaries

Mars Geuze, CHO and Co-Founder of Hyperloops: Over €36 Million Raised to Make Hyerloops a Reality

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 Mars Geuze, CHO & Co-Founder of Hardt Hyperloop, a transportation system that's raised over €36 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
From Student Projects to Hyperloop: Mars and his co-founders transitioned from building electric race cars to pioneering Hyperloop technology, catalyzed by Elon Musk's Hyperloop competition.
Open, Standardized Infrastructure: Hardt Hyperloop advocates for a network of standardized infrastructure owned by governments or private entities, enabling various operators to run their Hyperloop vehicles.
Capacity and Feasibility: Addressing misconceptions, Mars emphasized that Hyperloop can transport up to 20,000 passengers per direction per hour, rivaling traditional rail capacity.
Strategic Partnerships and Global Efforts: Countries like the Netherlands, Spain, India, and South Korea are actively investing in Hyperloop development, with significant public-private partnerships driving progress.
Next Steps and Testing: Hardt is building a 420-meter test facility to demonstrate key functionalities, including lane switching, which is critical for creating an efficient and flexible transportation network.
Long-term Vision: Mars highlighted a phased approach, with operational pilot routes expected by 2029 and widespread adoption and scaling of longer routes from 2030 onwards.
 
//
 
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

Brandon Schulz, CEO and Co-Founder of Violet: $14 Million Raised to Power the Future of E-commerce

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Brandon Schulz, CEO and Co-Founder of Violet, an e-commerce technology company that's raised $14 Million in funding.
Topics Discussed:
Brandon’s career background in social commerce and e-commerce businesses, and finding his calling in entrepreneurship
Why so many social commerce team struggle to establish an integrated infrastructure for large numbers of companies selling on a single platform
Violet’s vested interest in making their customers make more money, and how their pricing policy reflects this reality
How overpromising often ends up compromising the category creation process in the minds of customers
Finding product market fit, and the four-year slog towards finally making a commercial breakthrough

Ben Christensen, CEO of Cambium Carbon: $5.5 Million Raised to Build a new Category of Sustainable Wood

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 Ben Christensen, CEO and Co-Founder of Cambium Carbon, a company that has raised $5.5 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Ben’s background in forestry and his lifelong commitment to fighting climate change
The staggering figures of urban wood waste in the US and how that material can be harnessed by companies 
Why running ultramarathons has been transformational for Ben
What founding a startup has taught Ben about dealing with existential challenges
How rethinking the uniqueness of products can lead to a smaller carbon footprint
 
//
 
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
 

Stephen de Vries, CEO and Co-Founder of IriusRisk: $40 Million Raised to Build the Future of Threat Modeling

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Stephen de Vries, CEO and Co-Founder of IriusRisk, a threat modeling platform that's raised nearly $40 Million in funding.
Topics Discussed:
Stephen’s career as a programmer in the Y2K era and transitioning to application software security testing 
Being an early entrant to the cybersecurity space, and how the industry has changed over the years
How IriusRisk’s automated security approach streamlines the security software design process for developers
The expansion of IriusRisk's content to meet market demand, including device-specific protocols for medical devices.
The potential implications of impending regulations and working with the federal government to improve security
 
Favorite book: 
The Bhagavad Gita

Mark Morissette, CEO and Co-Founder of Foxquilt: $25 Million Raised to Build the Future of SMB Commercial Insurance

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Mark Morissette, CEO and Co-Founder of Foxquilt, an insurance technology company that has raised $25 Million in funding.
 Topics Discussed:
Mark’s background in distribution strategy and property casualty, his time in business school, and falling in love with insurance
How micro and small businesses are neglected when it comes to offering them insurance solutions that fit their individual needs
Foxquilt’s work creating economic gains for small businesses through a product that helps agents and brokers offer them the best insurance 
Differences between working in insurance in Canada and the US
Challenges of attracting venture capital in Canada as opposed to the US

Matt Butcher, CEO of Fermyon: $26 Million Raised to Power the Future of WebAssembly

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Matt Butcher, CEO of Fermyon, a web assembly company that’s raised $26 Million in funding.
Topics Discussed:
Matt’s background as a PhD in Philosophy, and the mistake that led him to learn coding in high school
Working in HP and several other companies, including Microsoft
Fermyon’s inception, and how it sells to developers as the easiest way to go from a blinking cursor to a deployed application in two minutes or less
Matt's thoughts on the difference between a manager and a leader
The advantages of starting a startup with a mature team, developing a pattern of boldness, and the importance of Matt’s mentor

Adrien Menard, CEO and Co-Founder of Botify: $82 Million Raised to Build the Future of SEO

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Adrien Menard, CEO and Co-Founder of Botify, an enterprise SEO platform that's raised over $82 Million in funding.
Topics Discussed:
Adrien’s experience as a French entrepreneur moving to the US, the excitement and anticipation of starting a new business journey
The power of organic search and SEO as part of the internet’s original promise to connect businesses across the world
The missed opportunities resulting from poorly optimized indexing processes, even among some of the biggest names in tech
How Botify claimed their own space in the market, and rose above the background noise to stand apart from the competition
The ongoing shift towards an SEO-focused approach and away from paid media channels
 
Favorite book: 
7 Powers: The Foundations of Business Strategy

Jon DeWald, CEO and Co-Founder of HELIXIntel: $17.6 Million Raised to Build the Future of Building Management

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Jon Dewald, CEO and Co-Founder of HELIXIntel, an asset management platform that has raised $17.6 Million in funding.
Topics Discussed:
Jon’s entrepreneurial family and background, his four years in the Marine Corps, and the greatest lesson he learned in the military
Problems in property and equipment insurance, and how HELIXIntel helps insurers manage risks and losses
Managing people, and what aligning incentives means
Benefiting from investors who are very sophisticated in capital allocation, and also bring value creation for the startup
The entrepreneurs that most inspire Jon, and his favorite biography
 
Favorite book: 
Washington: A Life

Funding the Future: Kendrick Kho, Co-Founder and GP of Sierra Madre

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Kendrick Kho, Co-Founder and GP of Sierra Madre.
Topics Discussed:
Kendrick’s transition from data science and engineering to VC founder, including the anxiety that comes with the fundraising mission
Tailoring strategies to generate investment for different investors and variable market dynamics
Key traits of successful founders, including "desperate urgency" and "founder Problem Fit," aligning skill sets with key risks
Category creation versus disruption, and Sierra Madre's preference for disrupting existing markets with innovation
Why Sierra Madre specifically seeks out technologies shaping the future of our production system, and what ‘industrial evolution’ really means

Yana Welinder, CEO and Founder of Kraftful: Over $3 Million Raised to Help Product Builders Create Better Products and Communities

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 Yana Welinder, CEO & Founder of Kraftful, a product research tool that has raised over $3 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Founding Kraftful: Yana transitioned from law and academia to product management, eventually founding Kraftful to revolutionize product research.
Early AI Experimentation: Started experimenting with large language models in 2020, leading to the development of Kraftful’s current product.
Organic Growth Strategy: Leveraging community-building on Twitter and focusing on solving specific problems for product managers.
Competitive Landscape: Kraftful stands out by specifically addressing the needs of product teams, differentiating from general user feedback summarization tools.
Go-To-Market Challenges: Faced new challenges with the launch of Meta’s Threads, prompting a reassessment of user acquisition strategies.
Vision for the Future: Aiming to become the leading human-AI interface for product builders, integrating user feedback seamlessly into the product development process.