BUILDERS

Andy Mowat, CEO and Co-Founder of Gated: Over $3 Million Raised to Build Noise Cancelling Headphones for Email

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Andy Mowat, CEO and Co-Founder of Gated, a communication platform that's raised over $3 Million in funding, about why articulating your personal and professional priorities is all but essential in an increasingly noisy digital world. Forming a first line of focus-oriented defense around your online presence, Gated helps people connect with like-minded individuals through the conversations they actually want to have, while keeping your screen and your attention free from cold emails and other communications that could waste your valuable time.
We also speak about Andy’s background working across a slew of SaaS startups, what it’s like bringing an innovative idea to market, why companies getting more and more siloed ultimately harms their long-term functional efficiency, and how keeping people’s inboxes more exclusive can actually help salespeople stand out in the markets that matter most to them.
 
Topics Discussed:
Andy’s career background working on go-to-market strategies for a wide range of SaaS-oriented companies
How Andy sees modern companies becoming increasingly siloed in terms of their operations, and why that’s a problem in the long run
The Gated value proposition, and why protecting your online presence from unnecessary noise is a strategic market opportunity
Gated’s relationship with salespeople and marketers, and why Andy believes they’ll get over an early aversion to ultimately build better relationships
How Gated is changing the way people think about email, and the legacy Andy wants to leave in the startup space
 
Favorite book: 
Traction

Marcin Wyszynski, Co-Founder of Spacelift: Over $22 Million Raised to Build the Future of IaC Management

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Marcin Wyszynski, Co-Founder of Spacelift, an IAC management platform that's raised over $22 Million in funding, about how coming across a market-winning idea led him to embark on an entrepreneurial journey in SaaS. Providing a streamlined, flexible and transparent environment for development operations, Spacelift is facilitating a whole new kind of collaboration in corporate software development.
We also speak about his background as a consultant and building a career at Google, the current and future state of the Polish startup scene, how working in the early days of devops led Marcin to his market-winning idea, and why his time as a technical CEO might soon come to an end so he can focus more on product development.
Topics Discussed:
Marcin’s background in statistics and software engineering, and how he built a career at Google
How the Polish startup scene is really coming into its own, and producing globally relevant tech companies
Why building new software solutions is usually a last choice for companies, and how that impacted Marcin’s consultancy work
Why Marcin plans to transition from CEO to focus on product development as the company grows
Spacelift’s security-first approach, and how that helped them settle into a product-market fit based on trust
Why stability in software development will always take priority over shiny new technology 
 
Favorite book:
Empowered: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Products

Sohaib Zahid, CEO and Co-Founder of Railz: $15 Million Raised to Build to Accounting Data as a Service Category

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Sohaib Zahid, CEO and Co-Founder of Railz, an accounting data platform that's raised over $15 Million in funding, about why the future of finance needs access to data, and how they make sense of it for their customers. By connecting to major accounting, banking, and eCommerce platforms to provide quick access to normalized and analyzed financial data on small and medium-sized customers, Railz helps their clients make the right business-focused decisions in real-time.
We also speak about Sohaib’s background in the medical field and how he made the transition to the tech economy through the world of hardware, new data tools transforming the financial sector, why analysis and not access has been holding it back for so long, and the vital importance of integrating trust at every level of business.
Topics Discussed:
Sohaib’s background in med school and what career trajectories look like for your typical ‘Asian kid’
How he worked his way through a range of businesses before landing as the founder of Railz
The new data technology transforming the world of financial decision making
Why analysis, not access, has been holding back the finance sector, and how Railz is bringing a new depth and scope of understanding to the industry
How building trust into the way your business functions operates at multiple levels between team, product, and customer
Why small business’ decisions should be based on comprehensive analysis of the entire growth cycle
 
Favorite book: 
The Alchemist

James Evans, Co-Founder and CEO of CommandBar: $24 Million Raised to Build the Leading AI-Powered User Assistance Platform

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 James Evans, Co-Founder & CEO of CommandBar, a developer tool that's raised $24 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Importance of Open-Ended Questions: James emphasizes the value of asking open-ended questions in customer interviews to uncover genuine insights.
Origin of CommandBar: CommandBar started as a solution to simplify a complex edtech tool, leading to the creation of a command palette that improves user experience.
Evolving Market Category: Initially positioned as a command palette as a service, CommandBar now falls under the broader category of digital adoption tools.
Landing Major Clients: James discusses how they secured impressive logos like AngelList and Gusto by positioning CommandBar as a no-brainer experiment with high ROI potential.
Competing with In-House Solutions: CommandBar's main competition often comes from companies considering building their own solutions, which James addresses by emphasizing the benefits of specialized tools.
Future Vision: James envisions CommandBar becoming a universal layer across all software, enhancing user experience and productivity on a large scale.

Virginia Klausmeier, CEO and Founder of Sylvatex: More Than $15 Million Raised to Build a Better Class of Sustainable Materials and Drive the Green Revolution

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Virginia Klausmeier, CEO and Founder of Sylvatex, a renewable nanochemistry platform that's raised more than $15 Million in funding.
Topics Discussed:
Growing up in Asia and Virginia’s unique insights into the diversity and difference which makes us what we are
Virginia’s inspirational father, and what admiration for her family gave her in terms of motivation to make a big change
Challenges and innovation in the sustainable energy sector, and why electric vehicle batteries are at the centre of a green transition
The manufacturing bottleneck standing in the way of a real sustainable transition, and how Sylvatex’ advanced materials can provide the solution
Scaling a sustainable solution, and the growth prospects for the green economy moving forward.
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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
 

Kevin Busque, CEO and Founder of Guideline: $339 Million Raised to Help More Small Businesses Offer Retirement Plans

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Kevin Busque, CEO and Founder of Guideline, a 401K platform for small business that's raised $339 Million in funding, about why so few employees in the US have access to a retirement plan for their autumn years, and their mission to make them more accessible and effective for everyone involved. Covering everything from payroll integrations to intuitive dashboards and intelligent advertising, Guideline gives people the power to invest in their financial future with confidence.
We also speak about Kevin’s early start in business with a highschool custom computer enterprise, his lifelong love of digital technologies and transition through the sector to become a founder, the regulatory pain that both inspired and impeded the early days of Guideline, and how technology is revolutionizing the retirement industry.
Topics Discussed:
Kevin’s lifelong love of computer technology, from a highschool business to working in firms across the sector
The early struggle to raise capital which meant Guideline almost ‘died before it started’
Why only 10% of US firms offer their employees meaningful retirement plans, and why Guideline is on a mission to change that
How technology is helping bring a new category of solutions to this long-struggling aspect of the US economy
The regulatory pain of trying to launch a startup in such a heavily regulated and slow-moving space
How working with finance engineers helped generate a wealth of actionable business ideas to work from

Michael Brown, CEO of Skyline Robotics: $10 Million Raised to Bring Automation to High-Rise Window Cleaning

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 Michael Brown, CEO & Founder of Skyline Robotics, a window cleaning technology company that has raised $10 Million  in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Identifying the Opportunity: Michael noticed the inefficiency and risk in traditional window cleaning while driving by Hudson Yards, leading him to enter the window cleaning technology space.
Industry Evolution: Over the past 20 years, various technologies attempted to automate window cleaning but often fell short. Skyline Robotics uses a unique approach leveraging existing building infrastructure.
Labor Market Challenges: The window cleaning workforce is aging, with 76% over 40, and there is a significant labor shortage. Skyline Robotics aims to upskill these workers into robotic technicians.
Market Size and Adoption: The global window cleaning industry is estimated at $40 billion, with significant interest from major real estate firms in adopting Skyline's technology.
Broader Vision: Beyond window cleaning, Skyline Robotics aims to own the facade, providing comprehensive building data and ESG insights using their technology.
Strategic Growth: Skyline Robotics plans to expand into major global markets, including the UK, Hong Kong, Australia, UAE, and Saudi Arabia, while solidifying their presence in key US cities.
 
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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

Funding the Future: Carlos Eduardo Espinal, Managing Partner at Seedcamp

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Carlos Eduardo Espinal, Managing Partner at Seedcamp, a European based seed stage fund that invests everything from Angel Rounds all the way to Seed capital, about being an ‘OG’ in the European tech economy, and how it has emerged as a leading hub of innovation on the world stage. Carlos talks about the differences in access to and availability of funding for firms in the US and European markets, how that has shaped the firms and founders who operate there, and why the future of funding looks more global.
We also speak about Carlos’ career in engineering and how that led him to the startup funding space, key structural differences in the European and US funding system that give rise to different capital cultures, and key strategic insights for tech startup founders wherever they choose to seek the financial support they need to bring world-changing innovations to market.
 
Topics Discussed:
Carlos’ background in the world of finance engineering, and what it was like behind the scenes of big capital
The different developments of capital markets in Europe and the US, and how accessibility and availability of funding drive divergent economic cultures
Why founders need to recognise that failure is part of the process of success, and what that means in terms of dedication, commitment and learning
Why support from a community of founders can be key to building success for all of them
How having a global impact, as well as promising returns, is becoming more important for those seeking funding 
Why the nature of leadership in a booming market needs to change if a business is to survive through more challenging times
 
Favorite book: 
New Dark Age: Technology and the End of the Future

Spike Lipkin, CEO and Co-founder of Newfront: $310 Million Raised to Build a Modern Insurance Brokerage For the 21st Century

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Spike Lipkin, CEO and Co-founder of Newfront, a modern insurance platform that's raised $310 Million in funding, about why the insurance industry has been so slow to move with the times, and the new generation of insurance solutions delivering better outcomes for their customers. By empowering experts in risk management with the latest digital technologies, Newfront is leading the way in transforming the sector on behalf of their customers.
We also speak about Spike’s background, from growing up in Colorado to finding his way into the insurance industry, his personal experiences confronting mountains of paperwork, why insurance is so central to innovation and progress across almost every field of human endeavor, and how large language models are helping Newfront produce actionable comparisons from huge amounts of industry data.
Topics Discussed:
Spike’s background and why he feels fortunate to have found his way into the insurance industry
The central role of insurance, and managing risk more generally, in driving innovation across almost every field of human endeavor
Spike’s first-hand experience confronting huge amounts of insurance industry paperwork, and why the sector has been so slow to modernize
The role of new technology like large language models in redefining the insurance experience, and the importance of actionable comparisons for clients
The central focus on broker productivity and transaction rates at metrics of success for Newfront
 
Favorite book: 
Lloyd’s of London

Jason Martin, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Permiso Security: $10 Million Raised to Build the Future of Cloud Security

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Jason Martin, Co-Counder and Co-CEO of Permiso Security, a cloud identity detection response platform that's raised $10 Million in funding, about the importance of knowing exactly who (or what) is trying to breach your security barrier, and building the right kind of response in real-time. With instant identity-to-event attribution, Permiso helps their clients understand the nature of the security threats they face, and make the right decisions about how to respond, both in the moment and for the future.
We also speak about Jason’s quarter-century career in cybersecurity, playing both offensive and defensive roles, the Permiso mission statement of ‘trying to find evil’ in the public cloud, the diversity of threats and aggressors facing a firm’s cybersecurity infrastructure, how Permiso differentiate themselves in the ‘threat detection’ space, and why the security of any company ultimately lies in its people and the processes they adhere to. 
Topics Discussed:
Jason’s extensive career in cybersecurity, playing roles in both the defensive and offensive software space
Why the modern cloud-based economy is facing a more diverse range of threats than ever before
‘Finding evil’ as a clear, concise mission statement for Permiso to make their mark on the market
Building a fun, engaging website as a vital touchpoint for potential customers
Differentiation in a crowded market space, and how Permiso stand apart from the general ‘threat detection’  solutions
Why hygiene, process, and ultimately people are the ultimate security solution for any company
 
Favorite book: 
Thank You for Being Late: An Optimist's Guide to Thriving in the Age of Accelerations