Category Visionaries

Sebastian Schüller, Co-founder of HiPeople: $7 Million Raised to Develop Data-Driven Augmentation for Hiring Teams

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Sebastian Schüller, Co-founder of HiPeople, a hiring intelligence platform that’s raised over $7 Million in funding, about why decisions driven by data are such an important part of contemporary business, and how HiPeople are bringing the power of analytics to the recruitment and hiring process of firms all over the world. With a twin offering of automated candidate screening tools to make sure every business makes the right choice, and critical post-hiring analytics to provide insights on how those new hires are doing, HiPeople promises better outcomes for the people at the very heart of good business.
We also speak about the current state of the Berlin startup economy, Sebastian’s career in tech and how it led him to put people at the heart of his startup, how humans got left behind in the data revolution and why it’s time they caught up, and how a relatively unknown startup like HiPeople managed to land a major name brand right out of the gate.
Topics Discussed:
Sebastian’s career in tech, and how he gradually became aware of the challenges with hiring people in the modern economy
Why surfacing and objectifying data has always been a central part of what Sebastian does
How the hiring process got left behind by the data revolution transforming how we do business, and what HiPeople plans to do about it
The twin offering of pre- and post- hiring analytics to drive better business outcomes for everyone
The current state of the Berlin startup space, and how it’s changed since the pandemic 
Why HiPeople has always been a global company, offering what businesses need to whoever needs it
 
Favorite book: 
High Output Management

Paul Kim, CEO of Notifi: $12 Million raised to Build the Future of Web3 Communication Infrastructure

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Paul Kim, CEO of Notifi, a Web3 communication infrastructure platform that's raised over $12 Million in funding. 
Topics Discussed:
From multinational enterprise to energetic startups, how experience working with the big boys gave Paul valuable lessons for his own company
Why customer obsession is still absolutely critical, even in a technology-focused market
How Notifi field tested software solutions with hacker communities first, before engaging with major market players
Why web3 mass adoption is inevitable, and what businesses need to do to get involved
The current missing link in the web3 system, and how Notifi plans to plug the gap
Why Paul elected to sacrifice short-term adoption from crypto-purists to focus on the major market space of mass adoption

Vivian Wang, CEO of Landed: $8 Million Raised to Solve the Restaurant Labor Shortage

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 Vivian Wang, Founder & CEO of Landed, an end-to-end recruiting platform that has raised over $8 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Landed's Mission: Landed aims to empower blue-collar workers by providing them with better job opportunities, financial tools, and educational resources.
Customer Experience Focus: The platform addresses the inefficiencies in the current recruitment process for hourly workers, offering tailored job matches and reducing manual tasks for employers.
Impact on Employers: Landed saves employers over 15 hours of manual processes by automating candidate sourcing, vetting, and interview scheduling.
Category Creation: Vivian emphasizes the creation of a new category, the "livelihood economy," focusing on jobs, finances, and education for blue-collar workers.
Adaptation During COVID-19: Despite launching just before the pandemic, Landed quickly adapted by targeting sectors like grocery stores and quick-service restaurants, demonstrating resilience and customer focus.
Growth and Traction: Landed works with nearly 400 companies, including major brands like Panera and Chick-fil-A, and has seen rapid revenue growth since its launch.
 

Raj De Datta, CEO & Co-founder of Bloomreach: $450 Million to Build the World’s Leading Commerce Experience Cloud

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Raj De Datta, CEO and Co-founder of Bloomreach, an e-Commerce experience platform that's raised $450 Million in funding, about why, in a world where we all live digitally, it’s time to bring the e-Commerce experience up to the standards we’d expect from traditional shopping. By providing personalized advertising to engage digital customers, and then a seamlessly integrated pathway to the products that caught their attention, Bloomreach is making e-commerce a more rewarding experience for everyone involved, and helping the brands behind it reach new levels of growth and engagement.
We also speak about what the post-financial crisis startup economy of 2009, why hard times can actually be a benefit in the long run, how years of trials and tribulations with Bloomreach taught Raj the central importance of perseverance, and how his singular vision on a more enjoyable experience of a digital world eventually carried Bloomreach to the top.
Topics Discussed:
The story of a startup cycle, Bloomreach’s trials and tribulations from a strong start to uncertainty and back again to the top
Why money is only one thing you need to  build a successful business, and easy access to capital is no guarantee of success
Why what leaders need more than anything is clarity of vision, but how Raj found catharsis in sharing his uncertainty during a difficult time
How Raj envisioned a digital shopping experience long before e-Commerce came to dominate the market
How Bloomreach’s cultural playbook puts strong teams at the heart of their business model
Why Raj wants to share his story to encourage other founders in the space, and why, for him, it’s always ‘day’

Dilpreet Sahota, CEO of Trek Health: $3 Million Raised to Help Mental Health Providers Accept Insurance

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 Dilpreet Sahota, CEO & Founder of Trek Health, a health tech startup that has raised $3 Million in funding.
 
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
 
Inspiration Behind Trek Health: Motivated by personal experiences and frustrations in healthcare, Dilpreet founded Trek Health to streamline healthcare payment processes.
 
Significant Pain Point: Current healthcare billing relies on a 40-year-old infrastructure, leading to inefficiencies and high administrative costs.
 
Target Market: Trek Health focuses on provider groups, ranging from small practices to venture-backed startups, to simplify their revenue cycle management.
 
Specialization in Behavioral Health: By concentrating on behavioral health providers, Trek Health tailors its platform to address specific challenges in this segment.
 
Automation Goals: The company aims to automate 90% of transaction processing, significantly reducing manual input and administrative burden.
 
Impact on Competition: By enabling easier setup and operation of provider groups, Trek Health fosters competition in healthcare, benefiting patients with more choices.
 

Michel Tricot, CEO of Airbyte: $181 Million Raised to Build the Future of Data Integration

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Michel Tricot, CEO of Airbyte, an open source data integration platform that’s raised over $180 Million in funding, about how their open source, future-proof solution is helping businesses everywhere extract tangible value from the data they are all now producing. Developed over several years alongside an open source community of engineers, Airbyte have made sure they address real pain points for their partners by learning as much as possible about the problem space from those working right at the coal-face.
We also speak about why Michel believes the demise of the Bay Area startup sector has been greatly exaggerated, how his lifelong passion for data has carried through to all his big business decisions, why data now determines success for most businesses in the modern economy, and how building trust with customers in your industry is a great investment in future growth.
Topics Discussed:
Michel’s lifelong love of data, and how toys translated into cutting-edge software solutions
Moving to San Francisco, and why the ups-and-downs of investment cycles don’t change the fundamental innovation present in the Bay Area
Why collecting data is ultimately about getting a big-picture view of what’s going on, regardless of what sector you operate in
How Airbyte went about learning as much as possible about the problem space they were getting into before making any big decisions
Why Airbyte went with PLG, and managed to successfully leverage their community for great market growth
How the open-source success of Airbyte provides a model for other budding tech businesses to facilitate organic innovation both within and without
 
Favorite book: 
High Output Management

Kentaro Kawamori, CEO & Co-Founder of Persefoni: $114 Million Raised to Build the Climate Disclosure & Carbon 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 of Category Visionaries, we speak with Kentaro Kawamori, CEO & Co-Founder of Persefoni, a climate disclosure and carbon management platform that’s raised over $114 Million in funding
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Growing up in a German agricultural community, where sustainability has always been synonymous with scarcity
Kentaro’s career across the tech sector, from big enterprise players to the startup space
The driving forces behind better carbon reporting, from regulators on one side and government regulators on the other
Why carbon reporting remains really left behind when it comes to data integration, and how Persefoni is planning to change all that
The complexity of contemporary supply chains and the real-world limitations of carbon footprint reporting confronting most firms
Why Kentaro didn’t seek out typical Silicon Valley investors on board at the start of Persefoni’s journey
//
 
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
 
 

Casey Rosenthal, CEO of Verica: $17 Million Raised to Build the Future of Chaos Engineering

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Casey Rosenthal, CEO of Verica.
Topics Discussed:
Chaos engineering - what does it mean? Why is it so important and what impact can it have on an enterprise tech setup
Why more and more companies are seeking to add chaos engineering to their approach, and why it’s already popular in fintech
Why diversity is key for modern tech companies, driving better performance and ultimately more success
Continuous verification and the DevOps revolution - where does this new category stand in the story?
How harmonizing schedules between different departments can be a real challenge for a company looking to expand
 
Favorite book: 
What Works: Gender Equality by Design

Ajay Kulkarni, CEO of Timescale: $180 Million Raised to Redefine the Database Category

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Ajay Kulkarni, CEO of Timescale, an open source time series SQL database that's raised over $180 Million in funding, about why, as computers get more powerful and data storage gets cheaper, the future of our digital transformation lies in better databases. With a market offering optimized for data intensive applications which capture large volumes of information for use in enterprise decision making, but faster, cheaper and better than current market offerings, Timescale is set to make a massive impact on the way data affects all of our daily lives.
We also speak about how perseverance kept Ajay in the startup space even after less than successful attempts at first, why he believes the success in any business is the grind, the pros and cons of starting a business during tough economic times, and how Timescale’s early PLG strategy was built on the strength of their community.
Topics Discussed:
Ajay’s first forays as a founder, and why he feels he learned a lot but never quite got the formula right until now
Why Ajay believes that when it comes to business success, there’s nothing more essential than the grind
The competitive aspect of a commercial enterprise, and why every founder needs a bit of faith in themselves and their idea
How constant development in the data collection and storage capacity of our devices makes better databases and essential tool for the economy of tomorrow
Why Timescale’s faster, cheaper, better model for data intensive applications is leaving the competition behind
How building a community helped give Timescale’s PLG strategy a head start
 
Favorite book: 
The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream

Clayton Wood, CEO of Picnic Works: $30 Million Raised to Automate Pizza Making

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 Clayton Wood, CEO of Picnic, a pizza tech company that's raised over $30 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Origin Story: Picnic started with a focus on automating food service, initially aiming to create a fully automated pizza truck, but soon focused on perfecting the pizza-making process.
Market Category: Picnic operates in the nascent field of food preparation automation, with a specific focus on pizza, leveraging their unique technology to cater to a broad range of pizza styles.
Customer Benefits: Picnic’s technology can produce 130 pizzas per hour with less than 2% food waste, significantly reducing the industry average of 10-12%, translating to substantial cost savings for operators.
Labor Challenges: The pizza industry faces chronic labor shortages and high turnover, and Picnic’s automation addresses these issues by improving productivity and consistency without needing to increase staff.
Adoption Hurdles: Educating the market and overcoming the skepticism towards new technology are major challenges. Picnic focuses on early adopters and operators willing to innovate.
Future Vision: While currently focused on pizza, Picnic’s technology is adaptable to other foods, potentially revolutionizing other segments of the food service industry in the future.
//
 
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