Category Visionaries

Patricia Thaine, Co-Founder & CEO of Private AI: Over $11 Million Raised to Help Organizations Anonymize PII to Achieve Regulatory Compliance

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Patricia Thaine, Co-Founder & CEO of Private AI, a privacy tech startup that's raised over $11 Million in funding, about how a new awareness of privacy concerns and a slew of regulations are driving transformation in the sector, and why Private AI’s comprehensive solution package has found its perfect market fit. Covering everything from privacy regulation compliance, determining the risks associated with different types of data, and even privacy-free training data for chatbot programs, private AI is helping get the most out of big data without exposing people to undue risk.
We also speak about Patricia’s background in research on privacy and language processing, why new regulations are driving a rush towards a more privacy-centric tech sector, the value and risk of companies with hoards of harvested data, and the current state of the privacy space about which Patricia is largely optimistic.
Topics Discussed:
Patricia’s background in the academic world of privacy and language processing models
How Patricia knew that her education was taking her towards starting her own tech company, and when her interest in privacy began
Why so many companies struggle to deal with the data they collect, in terms of both scale and complexity
The Private AI triple offering of regulation compliance, risk differentiation and privacy-free training for chatbot programs
How, for once, regulations are driving innovation in the privacy-sensitive tech economy
Why Private AI works in 47 second languages, and believes that privacy is not only for the English speaking world
 
Favorite book: 
How the World Really Works: The Science Behind How We Got Here and Where We're Going

Samson Magid, Co-Founder and CEO of HealthSnap: Over $12 Million Raised to Build the Future of Remote Patient Monitoring

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Samson Magid, Co-founder and CEO of HealthSnap,  a remote patient monitoring platform for chronic condition management that's raised over $12 Million in funding, about why the time has come for a whole new approach to long-term health and wellbeing. Breaking with the established ‘fee for service’ model that prioritizes products and services over health outcomes, HealthSnap provides real time monitoring, notifications, and coordination services to make sure patients get the care and support they need for chronic conditions.
We also speak about Samson’s background in the exercise science and nutrition space, why he decided to forgo medical school to start an entrepreneurial journey with HealthSnap, how the US healthcare system found itself spending trillions of dollars on chronic conditions without delivering on outcomes, and how covid became a forcing function for the rise of the remote health industry.
Topics Discussed:
Samson’s educational background in the exercise science and nutrition space
Why Samson decided to forgo medical school to go on a startup adventure with HealthSnap
Why health and wellbeing is a marathon, not a sprint, and how Samson makes sure to take care of himself
How the US found itself spending trillions of dollars to treat preventable, chronic conditions but without delivering much in the way of outcomes
The ‘fee for service’ structure at the heart of contemporary healthcare’s systematic challenges
Why the biggest challenge for HealthSnap is convincing physicians to change the way they practice medicine
 
Favorite book: 
Shoe Dog

Michael Witte, CEO & Co-founder of Workrise: $750 Million Raised to Power the Future of the Energy Industry

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Michael Witte, CEO & Co-founder of Workrise, a marketplace for on demand services and skilled labor in the energy industry that's raised over $750 Million in funding, about why the energy sector’s needs for digital innovation are equal to its dependence on advanced extraction technologies, and how Workrise fits in to the future of energy. A B2B marketplace to bring together skills and expertise from disparate vendors and individuals to implement energy projects to the highest possible standard, Workrise is set to drive efficiency and expediency in this foundational part of our economy.
We also speak about Michael’s background as a native Texan and as a energy engineer, the staggering technology in the energy extraction process but why the sector lags behind in terms of digitalization, how personal experience led him to found Workrise, and how he manages to balance being a father, husband, dog owner and CEO.
Topics Discussed:
Michael’s life as a native Texan and his career in the oil and gas sector
The complexity of energy extraction projects involving a wide range of stakeholders, skills and expertise
The current state of the Austin tech ecosystem and why Michael is proud to be a part of it
The staggering technology required to extract energy resources, but why the sector still lags behind in terms of digitalization
Why so many would-be founders never really consider what their success might mean, and the responsibility that comes with a leadership role
How Michael balances his business with the responsibility of being a husband, father and ‘dog father’
 
Favorite book: 
The Hard Thing about Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
 
Resources: 
Easier, Faster, Safer: How Workrise is Absorbing Complexity to Bring the Energy Industry Into the Future

Jack McDonald, CEO of PolySign: $50 Million Raised to Power the Future of Digital Assets

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Jack McDonald, CEO of PolySign, a fintech company building institutional grade infrastructure for digital assets, about why trusted investment custodians for crypto have been a long time coming, and how PolySign positions itself as the ideal solution. Regulated, insured, and conflict-free, Polysign provides the infrastructure for tomorrow’s digital-native trading and investment environment.
We also speak about Jack’s unusual path to the position of Polysign CEO, how an outsider found himself at the top of the organization, Jack’s background in financial services, the current state of the crypto and digital assets space, and how Polysign found the balance between feedback from the market and keeping their leading innovation under wraps until it was ready to launch.
Topics Discussed:
Jack’s career in the financial sector, from big banks to smaller, more nimble institutions
How Jack came to find himself coming from the outside to the position of CEO at Polysign, and why Arthur Britto is such a unique business partner
Why trusted, regulated infrastructure is an essential part of future trading in crypto and digital assets
Why the other path to being a custodian for crypto is setting up as a trusted company, and why Polysign decided to follow that path
The current state of the crypto trading landscape, how it’s moving past some troubled times towards a more secure future
How Polysign struck a balance between good market feedback and keeping their product under wraps until it was ready to launch
 
Favorite books: 
The Leadership Fables of Patrick Lencioni
Just Kids

Damien Hutchins, Co-Founder of Rollzi: Over $8 Million Raised to Build the Full Truckload Carrier of the Future

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Damien Hutchins, Co-Founder of Rollzi, a full truckload carrier provider that's raised over $8 Million in funding, about why it’s time for a whole new approach to trucking and how Rollzi is making it happen. Deploying an innovative ‘single-lane relay’ strategy in which a network of local transit nodes keep trucks on the road while taking the pressure off drivers, Rollzi is reducing costs, increasing efficiency, and providing a less grueling work lifestyle for the drivers at the heart of their business.
We also speak about how, despite being a ‘non-tech guy,’  Damien found himself with a career-long history in tech, what excites him about the trucking industry in particular, how drivers deal with difficult schedules, and what Rollzi plans to do about it, and where autonomy might fit into the freight network of the future.
Topics Discussed:
Damien’s background in the tech sector despite being  self-professed ‘non-tech guy’
How Damien found himself in the trucking space and what excites him about this industry in particular
The challenges facing the trucking industry in a post-covid economy and how they inspired Damien to found Rollzi
How Rollzi builds efficiency into its business model by bringing a whole new approach to road freight
Why automation is far from a panacea for freight, but where it might find a place in Rollzi’s business model
How Damien tries to strike a balance between the expense of innovation and the need to stay profitable
 
Favorite book: 
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration

Sean Knapp, Founder & CEO of Ascend: $50 Million to Power the Future of Data Engineering

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Sean Knapp, Founder & CEO of Ascend, a data engineering platform that's raised $50 Million in funding, about why, in an era where every company is transforming into a software company, getting the right digital infrastructure in place is critical for optimizing productivity. Providing a single ‘pane of glass’ through which their clients can create, ingest, transform and ultimately utilize data, Ascend is positioning itself as an essential backend software system for the digital economy.
We also speak about Sean's career in tech, what it was like getting in on the ground floor during the early days of google, the lessons he brought forward to his own tech startup, why the inexorable rise of data presents its own challenges of scale for an increasingly interdependent commercial landscape.
Topics Discussed:
Sean’s career in the software engineering space, and what he learned from joining Google during the early days of 2004
How it felt to leave a stable, secure position and take a leap into the unknown by risking it all on a startup
Why ‘data is eating the world,’ and forcing every company to essentially become a software company
How the deluge of data in the modern marketplace presents its own unique challenge for businesses
Why most companies’ data teams spend 80% of their time trying to integrate different software solutions
Why Sean is actually excited to see a bit of a down market in the years to come, cutting out some of the background noise
 
Favorite book: 
Amp It Up: Leading for Hypergrowth by Raising Expectations, Increasing Urgency, and Elevating Intensity

Matt Giffune, Co-Founder at Occupier: $16 Million Raised to Build the Future of Tenant Lease Management

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Matt Giffune, Co-Founder at Occupier, a lease management platform that's raised $16 Million in funding, about why businesses need help to handle this major area of expense, and how Occupier’s integrated real estate workflow tool for provides everything their client’s need. Guiding people through the entire life cycle of a lease, from transaction management to lease administration and keeping in line with pertinent regulations, Occupier finds itself functioning as the backbone of many companies’ real estate operations.
We also speak about the origin story of Occupier in Matt’s years as a real estate broker, why he was less than impressed with the state of technology in the industry, the current state of the commercial real estate space, and why people might be surprised to learn that Occupier’s ideal product-market fit came long after they actually launched.
Topics Discussed:
Matt’s career trajectory in the real estate space, from broker to joining a startup and eventually founding his own
Why Matt was less than impressed with the technology being deployed in the commercial real estate market
How this high value and highly significant sector of the contemporary economy found itself relying on PDFs, spreadsheets and outdated software
The life cycle of a real estate lease and how Occupier supports their clients through every stage of the process
Why Occupier’s product-market fit came only after they started receiving feedback from their clients
 
Favorite book: 
John Adams

Otto Hanson, CEO of TermScout: $7 Million Raised to Build the World’s Leading AI-Powered Contract Review Software

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Otto Hanson, CEO at TermScout, a contract review platform that's raised $7 Million in funding, about why the current approach to signing contracts wastes time, money and risks potentially souring key relationships, and how TermScout plans to trim the fat from this most basic business process. Providing neutral, independent, third-party data to build confidence in the terms of a deal, TermScout has achieved an incredible rate of more than 40% of their clients agreeing to a contract without any further negotiation necessary.
We also speak about the TermScout story and Otto’s background in business law, exactly what inspired him to start such a specific startup, the big ideas which have shaped his career and why he’s happy to leave the corporate world behind, and why keeping agile and always pivoting can help you identify unique approaches to solving profitable problems.
Topics Discussed:
Otto’s career in business law and what it taught him about contracts as the critical components of doing modern business
The problems which pushed Otto to start a contract-focused startup, and how businesses can save time and money through the process
Why learning and adjustment is key to moving forward in business, identifying new ways to approach perennial problems
Why identifying a ‘bad contract’ is about more than just reviewing specific clauses
How ease of use and accessibility helped TermScout build momentum and gather customers
Why TermScout invested so heavily in marketing, and how they’re getting the message out to their mark
 
Favorite book: 
The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

Tomas Reimers, Co-Founder of Graphite: $22.5 Million Raised to Build the Future of Code Reviews

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Tomas Reimers, CEO of Graphite, a code review platform that's raised $22.5 Million in funding, about why high-speed teams need more than what the open source software space can offer, and how Graphite delivers development solutions in real-time, with relevant insights to guide people with their nose to the grindstone. Their unique offering has seen the company generate impressive growth, with more customer requests than they can handle.  
We also speak about Tomas’ experience working at Facebook, and the lessons he learned from one of the world’s tech giants, how networking with users helped Graphite develop a unique PLG strategy, the fundamental differences between developing software in an open source vs. closed environment, and exactly what it means to be part of a ‘fast moving team.’
Topics Discussed:
Tomas’ career in tech, and what three years at Facebook taught him about good team and engineering culture
The difference between open source and closed software development, and why GIThub is great but might not work for everyone
How Graphite makes sure customers re-engage with their product after fixing identified features
What it means to be part of a ‘fast moving team’ and why Graphite’s offering appeals to those in the corporate economy
Why so many of Graphite’s clients insisted that they manage the solution themselves
How Graphite copes with a deluge of client requests, and their plans for expansion in the years ahead
 
Favorite book: 
The Last Days of Night: A Novel

Florian Wimmer, Co-Founder & CEO of Blockpit: $15 Million Raised to Power the Future of Crypto Tax Management

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Florian Wimmer, Co-Founder & CEO at Blockpit, a crypto tax platform that's raised $15 Million in funding, about why their comprehensive cryptocurrency calculations are set to become an essential product for those looking for trouble-free future trading in the crypto markets. Inspired by Florian’s personal experience trying to tabulate his own crypto investments, Blockpit gives users the tools they need to get their earnings in order without the headache of manual calculations.
We also spoke about Florian’s career across multiple industry sectors, why he’ll never go back to the corporate world, how what started s hobby, and why starting in Austria was a great incubator for the company’s European expansion.eventually grew into the Blockpit business we see today, 
Topics Discussed:
Florian’s career across multiple corporate sectors, and why he’s much happier in the startup space now
The personal tax headache which led Florian to seek a software solution working out crypto valuations across multiple platforms
The Blockpit value proposition for their customers, and why crypto tax calculation is tomorrow’s must-have product
Why Austria was an ideal starting place for a crypto tax platform, and how a strict regulatory environment helped Blockpit prepare for a wider market launch
The Blockpit customer base, and why retail investors are the natural market fit for their software solution
 
Favorite book:
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't