Category Visionaries

Funding the Future: Lucas Nelson, Partner at Lytical Ventures

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Lucas Nelson, Partner at Lytical Ventures, a Venture Fund Focusing on Enterprise Intelligence, Security & Analytics, about the current state of the venture space, and what is getting people excited or frustrated these days. Lytical ventures’ focus on the enterprise intelligence sector gives them the opportunity to work with passionate and technical founders across a whole range of enterprises, returning the market to its roots of investors taking board seats and being more involved in how their investment is run.
We also speak about the Lytical Ventures’ two main funds, frustration with the current ‘business school mindset’ dominating the market, why deep diligence is probably more important now than ever, and why data is driving much innovation based on deep market insights.
Topics Discussed:
Lucas’ career from self-professed ‘geek hacker’ to venture capitalist, and what he’s learned along the way
Why Lytical ventures chose a focus on the enterprise intelligence space, and how it helps them identify truly innovative offerings
The different funding structures available, and the difference between seed funds, crossover funds, and others
Why Lucas loves working with passionate founders, and taking a hands-on approach to investments
Why Lucas has been frustrated with the ‘business school mindset’ dominating the venture capital space
The present and future of venture capital, and how data is set to transform the investment tomorrow

Funding the Future: Shomik Ghosh, Partner at Boldstart Ventures

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Shomik Gosh, Partner at Boldstart Ventures, a venture capital firm specializing in backing founders from before they’ve even laid down their first line of code, about why being part of a startup journey from the very first step is such a rewarding experience. Providing insights and support for everything from concept creation to preparing a market-ready offering, Boldstart believes in giving every founder with a truly game-changing idea the best possible chance of making their difference.
We also spoke about the venture space’s focus shifting back to profitability, why pain points should still be the priority when developing a business model, how premature scaling can be a big risk for new businesses, and why, in Shomik’s mind, it’s always better not to get caught up in the marketplace hype.
Topics Discussed:
Shomik’s career in sales and trading, and why a fascination with the potential of technology pushed him to make the move to the Bay
Boldstart’s funding legacy and the funds they’re preparing for startups old and new in the space
The current state of venture investment, and why profitability is starting to take center stage again
What gets Shomik so excited about joining founders’ journeys, and why he loves to see people bringing new solutions to legacy problems
The risks for founders of getting too caught up in market hype, and why it’s always preferable to stay focused on real pain points
Why rejections are just a part of starting a business, but how real perseverance can really pay off

Fabrice Deprez, CEO of Discai: $12 Million Raised to Build the Future of Anti-Money Laundering Software

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Fabrice Deprez, CEO of Discai, a fintech platform providing anti-money laundering solutions that's raised $12 Million in funding, about how the twin burdens of regulatory tightening and the real savings business can make, is driving a surge in focus on preventing money laundering. With an AI-based solution taking over much of the manual work and ensuring the most stringent of high standards, Discai is promising a more effective, efficient solution to money laundering than ever before.
We also speak about Fabrice’s background from a family of entrepreneurs and his 20 years in consulting, how several of his unique ideas became in-demand services before ever going to market, building a company from the bottom up, and what it’s like to take AI international.
Topics Discussed:
Fabrice’s early start in entrepreneurship, from a business-savvy family to building a business from the bottom up
20 years of work in the consulting industry and what it taught Fabrice about some strategic market opportunities
The reputation risk for financial institutions of getting caught up in money laundering and other fraudulent behaviors
Why current solutions to fight money laundering have failed to plug some priority holes in the financial system
How Discai took their AI model international, and what it means to adapt existing solutions to new markets
Discai’s ambitions to dominate the future of financial crime prevention

Mike Malone, CEO and Founder of Smallstep: $26 Million Raised to Build the Future of Certificate Lifecycle Management For DevOps

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Mike Malone, CEO and Founder of Smallstep, a certificate lifecycle management platform that's raised $26 Million in funding, about why securing distributed software systems is so important for the modern economy, and how it can be achieved without sacrificing the immense potential of the systems themselves. With a tried and tested software solution built on certificate-based authentication, Smallstep identifies critical components that need to be secured, lapses in existing security policy, and helps manage a business’ most valuable resource - trust.
We also speak about Mike’s background in software and his long-running vision to establish himself in Silicon Valley, how authenticity and real-world problem-solving helped Smallstep secure a significant customer base, and why sustainable open-source software is one of the most significant unsolved challenges in the world today.
Topics Discussed:
Mike’s background from a self-proclaimed ‘nerdy kid’ to a systems engineer across a whole range of software firms 
How vision eventually became reality as Mike established himself in the Silicon Valley ecosystem
Sustainable open source software as a strategic challenge for modern business, and how Mike and Smallstep are focusing on a solution
Certificate-based authentification as a tried and tested security method with its origins in pre-web software development
Why, regardless of the era we find ourselves in, trust remains the most valuable resource for any business
Why Mike sees Smallstep as improving the security of the internet as a whole, and how that ultimately benefits everyone
 
Favorite book: 
On the Road

Matthew Wright, CEO and Founder of Specright: $45 Million Raised to Build the Specification Data Management 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 Matthew Wright, CEO & Founder of Specright, a specification data management platform that's raised $45 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Origin of Specright: Matthew identified a significant inefficiency in managing specification data in various industries, leading to the creation of Specright.
Category Creation Journey: Specright is pioneering the specification data management category, a challenging but rewarding process that requires constant reinforcement of their unique value proposition.
Industry Impact: The packaging industry, a primary user of Specright's platform, benefits from enhanced efficiency, reduced errors, and better compliance with sustainability goals.
Enterprise Adoption: Specright's approach includes engaging with major enterprises and leveraging third-party validation, such as Gartner, to establish credibility and adoption.
Retention and Growth: Specright boasts a 98% retention rate and a significant portion of new revenue from existing customer expansions, highlighting customer satisfaction and platform value.
Future Vision: The next phase for Specright involves expanding their network capabilities, enabling companies to share and collaborate on specification data globally.
 
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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

Naftali Harris, Co-founder and CEO of SentiLink: $85 Million Raised Eliminate First-Party Fraud, Syntheic Fraud, and Identify Fraud

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 Naftali Harris, Co-Founder & CEO of SentiLink, an identity verification platform that's raised $85 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Founding Story: Naftali and his co-founder Max discovered a massive fraud problem while working at Affirm, leading them to create SentiLink to solve identity verification issues.
Initial Insight: They encountered multiple fraudulent credit applications with the same name and birthdate but different SSNs, highlighting a gap in existing identity verification systems.
Market Impact: SentiLink works with seven of the top 15 US banks, five of the ten largest credit unions, and over 300 financial institutions, processing over a million identity verifications daily.
Core Values: The company's core values, especially "follow through," play a critical role in building trust with partners and ensuring operational excellence.
Long-Term Vision: SentiLink aims to be the default solution for identity verification, similar to how CRMs are used in sales, addressing the fundamental question of "Who are you?"
Fraud Evolution: Identity fraud evolves in waves, presenting both challenges and opportunities for SentiLink to continuously innovate and adapt their solutions.
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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

Rishabh Jain, CEO and Co-Founder of Fermàt: Over $12 Million Raised to Power the Future of Commerce Experiences

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 Rishabh Jain, CEO & Co-Founder of Fermàt, a content commerce platform that's raised over $12 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
From Ad Tech to Entrepreneurship: Rishabh shares his transition from being a VP of Innovation at Liveramp to founding Fermàt, driven by the changes in digital tracking announced by Apple.
Innovative Product Offering: Fermàt allows commerce brands to create customizable stores for every piece of content they launch online, enhancing user experience and conversion rates.
Target Customers: Fermàt primarily works with small to medium-sized D2C brands in categories like food and beverage, beauty, apparel, and home goods.
Impressive Growth Metrics: Fermàt saw a significant inflection point in Q4 of last year, with a 125x growth in GMV in twelve weeks and rapid customer acquisition in subsequent quarters.
Overcoming Market Challenges: Rishabh discusses the pressures faced by e-commerce brands today and his medium-term optimism driven by new AI tools.
Exciting Future Developments: Rishabh teases new AI-powered features coming in May, allowing brands to create unique, engaging shopping experiences tailored to various themes and moods.

Lasse Andresen, CEO and Founder of IndyKite: $10 Million Raised to Empower Teams to Move Beyond Legacy Identity and Access Management

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Lasse Andresen, CEO and Founder of IndyKite, an identity platform that's raised $10 Million in funding, about why identity management is at the center of so much in our modern world. With an identity-type agnostic approach to managing authentication for their customers, IndyKite helps people get the most out of every one of their devices without sacrificing all-important security.
We also speak about Lasse’s career history, involvement with other companies and a multi-billion-dollar public market launch, technology's impact on improving customer experiences, and the power of open-source software to drive a new generation of change across a whole range of industries.
Topics Discussed:
Making all the mistakes a founder could make, learning, and moving forward towards success at the end
The roller coaster ride of taking a company public, and why Lasse aspires to do the same thing with IndyKite
Why major developer conferences can function as a hotbed of innovative energy and bring about an incredible exchange of ideas
Why Lasse disagrees with the revolving door of contemporary hiring and prioritizes

Tiffany Ricks, CEO and Founder of HacWare: $2.6 Million Raised to Build the Future of Security Awareness

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 Tiffany Ricks, CEO & Founder of HacWare, a security awareness platform that's raised $2.6 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Transition to Product: Tiffany transitioned from running a consultancy to building HacWare after identifying phishing as a recurring vulnerability in her clients’ businesses.
Phishing Impact: Phishing attacks lead to significant breaches, with 3.4 billion phishing emails sent daily and 71% of small businesses experiencing phishing attacks that lead to ransomware.
Automated Solution: HacWare automates phishing simulations and security awareness training using AI, significantly reducing the labor hours required from 40 hours a week to just 1 hour a month.
Educated Buyers: Small and mid-market businesses are becoming more knowledgeable about cybersecurity needs, understanding the importance of solutions like VPNs, password managers, and security awareness training.
Continuous Improvement: HacWare releases software updates weekly, maintaining focus on customer pain points and continuously enhancing their platform’s capabilities.
Future Vision: In five years, HacWare aims to provide comprehensive human risk assessments across various digital platforms, similar to credit scores, to identify and mitigate potential security risks.
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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

Paul Valente, CEO and Co-Founder of VISO Trust: $17 Million Raised to Build the Future of Third-Party Cyber Risk 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 Paul Valente, CEO & Co-Founder of Viso Trust, a third-party risk management platform that's raised $17 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Evolution of Security: Paul highlighted how digital transformation has drastically increased reliance on third-party services, making third-party risk management a critical focus.
Background and Vision: Drawing from his extensive experience as a CISO, Paul discussed the challenges he faced and how they led to the creation of Viso Trust.
AI Integration: Viso Trust leverages AI to automate third-party cyber risk management, reducing the workload by 90% and significantly speeding up the assessment process.
Customer Adoption: With over 35 large enterprise customers and a network of 2.5 million companies, Viso Trust is rapidly scaling and has enabled the assessment of tens of thousands of third parties.
Empathy with CISOs: Paul's background as a CISO provides him with unique insights into the needs and pain points of security leaders, shaping Viso Trust's approach to customer engagement.
Go-to-Market Strategy: Viso Trust employs a mix of direct sales, thought leadership, and product-enabled sales, focusing on reducing friction and providing value to both assessors and vendors.
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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