Category Visionaries

Stijn Vande Casteele, Founder of Sweepatic: $4.4 Million Raised to Build the Future of External Attack Surface Management

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Stijn Vande Casteele, founder of Sweepatic, an external attack surface management company that’s raised $4.4 million in funding, about why an effective cybersecurity strategy depends on getting the right information to the people who need to make decisions, and how Sweepatic makes that happen in real time. Market leaders in threat discovery, Sweepatic’s name comes from the focus on continuously mapping, analyzing and monitoring all  internet facing assets or ‘sweeping,’ to provide their clients with critical information via a seamless interface.
We also speak about the challenges of getting a startup off the ground in Europe versus some other cybersecurity hubs, Stijn’s experience across an entire industry which inspired him to start Sweepatic, the appeal of cloud-based services for contemporary customers, and why Sweepatic’s approach might have found perfect market fit.
 
Topics Discussed:
Stijn’s career in cybersecurity, and the lessons that led him to found Sweepatic
Why discovery is probably the most important component of any cybersecurity infrastructure
The different challenges facing cybersecurity startups in Europe compared to the US or Israel
How a seamless, cloud-based solution has helped Sweepatic attract more customers
Why keeping customers close and really focusing on their feedback has been critical to Sweepatic’s success
The future of cybersecurity: more information, more visibility, more control

Fady Hawatmeh, Founder and CEO of Clockwork: Nearly $3 Million Raised to Make Financial Modeling and Cash Flow Forecasting Easy

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 Fady Hawatmeh, CEO of Clockwork, an FP&A platform that has raised nearly $3 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Personal Pain Point: Fady's background as an outsourced CFO highlighted the need for a more automated, accessible FP&A solution, leading to the genesis of Clockwork.
Customer-Centric Approach: Clockwork's development was driven by direct feedback from clients, focusing on what small businesses truly need from an FP&A tool.
Competitive Market Strategy: Despite the noise from well-funded competitors, Fady emphasizes the unique, hands-on experience and genuine connection with the small business market.
Financial Growth: In its first full year, Clockwork achieved 5x revenue growth, demonstrating strong market traction and customer validation.
Vision for the Future: Clockwork aims to be the go-to platform for companies under $100 million in revenue, integrating all financial, payroll, and HR functions into one seamless system.
Mission-Driven Leadership: Fady’s leadership is rooted in a genuine commitment to solving real problems for small businesses, prioritizing customer success over short-term gains.
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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

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