Category Visionaries

Luca Zambello, CEO of Jurny: $12 Million Raised to Create a More Seamless Hotel and Airbnb Check-In Experience

In today’s episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Luca Zembello, CEO of Jurny, about his journey from starting out in hospitality to pushing innovation across the entire industry, and how Jurney's approach to fully-integrated hospitality services at your fingertips is setting new standards in the guest experience. With a unique tech stack encompassing everything a customer might need, Jurny is on a mission to make the traditional 'front desk' obsolete.
Topics Discussed:
Fragmentation in the hospitality industry, word of mouth, and the challenges for new entrants
Why the hospitality sector has been slow to adopt new technologies
Why reliability and consistency are the cornerstone of the customer experience
The future hospitality marketplace and how a handful of companies are destined to dominate
'Good technology' and its role in the new hospitality value proposition

Joseph Schneier, CEO of Trusty Care: $13+ Million Raised to Shape the Future of Medicare

In today’s episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with  Joseph Schneier, CEO and Founder of Trusty Care, a platform that helps coordinate healthcare for millions of Americans covered by Medicare. By providing critical information about their clients, Trusty Care makes sure that an insurer gets the right person into the right plan for their specific healthcare needs, because no one should go bankrupt paying for healthcare.
Topics Discussed:
The challenge of connecting customers with the right healthcare plan
The digital transformation of the health insurance sector
Why working in a heavily regulated sector needs patience and attention to detail
Why security is the cornerstone of the health insurance industry, how Trusty Care works to keep your data safe
Why the digital transformation is finally reaching the Health insurance sector

Gabor Balogh, CEO of Trucksters: $21 Million Raised to Build the Future of Long Haul Trucking

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 Gabor Balogh, CEO & Founder of Trucksters, a long haul transportation startup that's raised over $20 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Background and Inspiration: Gabor's international upbringing and early entrepreneurial ventures with college friends led to the creation of Trucksters, driven by a desire to innovate in the transportation sector.
Business Model: Trucksters offers an "ultra express" transportation service using a relay system, reducing delivery times from days to hours by switching truck heads at designated points.
Value Propositions: Speed, safety, visibility, and robustness are the key benefits Trucksters offers to multinational companies, particularly in textile, perishable food, electronics, and e-commerce sectors.
Market Landscape: The European long haul trucking market is highly fragmented, lacking digital processes, and facing a driver shortage, which Trucksters aims to address with its innovative relay system.
Growth and Expansion: Since its founding in 2018, Trucksters has grown to €20 million in annual revenue, with plans to expand its corridor strategy throughout Europe and potentially to the US and Latin America.
Future of Trucking: Gabor discusses the importance of environmental sustainability and the role of relays in integrating electric and autonomous trucks into long haul transportation.
 
//
 
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

Pierce Ujjainwalla, CEO of Knak: $25 Million Raised to Empower Enterprise Marketers with Codeless Email and Landing Page Creation

In today’s episode of Category Visionaries, we speak to Pierce Ujjainwalla from Knak, a no-code campaign creation platform redefining contemporary marketing. Pierce experienced firsthand the challenges of being a marketer in an industry dominated more and more by coding, and launched his company to unleash people's creativity and make sure that no marketer ever has to code again.
Topics discussed:
The Marketer skills gap when it comes to coding
Campaign creation: a new market category to empower creatives
Building trust and leading with your product, making sure it works for customers
Testing your product through 'drinking your own champagne,' how everyone at Knack can create a send-worthy email
Why the future of marketing is human creativity, and why humans are the best at connecting with other humans
 

Jonas Overgaard, CEO of Anyday.io: $4M Raised to Transform the Buy Now Pay Later Market

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 Jonas Overgaard, CEO & Founder of Anyday, a payment startup that has raised more than €4 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Anyday's Unique BNPL Model: Anyday allows consumers to split payments into four equal installments, withdrawn at the end of the month when salaries are typically received.
Ethical Installment Plans: The company's commitment to ethical lending includes rigorous credit checks and only approving about 50% of applications to avoid lending to those who can't repay.
Merchant-Centric Approach: Merchants pay a premium transaction fee, ensuring the service remains free for consumers while increasing average order value and conversion rates for businesses.
Traction and Growth: Since launching in 2020, Anyday has onboarded around 2000 merchants in Denmark, with 500 retail stores offering in-store payment options, and 30,000 active shoppers.
Future Expansion: Anyday aims to expand beyond Denmark to other Nordic countries and eventually across Europe, with potential future interest in the UK and US markets.
Regulatory Compliance: Anyday proactively complies with upcoming regulations in Europe and the US, focusing on responsible lending practices.
//
 
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

Rob Carpenter, CEO of Valyant AI: $15M Raised to Tackle the Labor Shortage at Quick Serve Restaurants with Conversational AI

In today’s episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Rob Carpenter, CEO of Valyant AI — a conversational AI platform that integrates existing mobile, web, call ahead, kiosk and drive-thru platforms. Currently, the company is focused on the quick-serve restaurant (QSR) market with bold ambitions to expand to many different verticals. 
Topics discussed:
What Valyant is and how the technology works
Three components of conversational AI (that most get wrong) 
Why the stakes are so high for this type of technology to work every time for consumers 
How Valyant separates their AI technology from all the noise 
Secrets to getting large organizations to adopt emerging technology 
Why Valyant doesn’t use human-sounding voices with their conversational AI 
How Rob thinks about market categories 
What’s in store for the future of Valyant

Douglas Ver Mulm, CEO & Founder of Stable Insurance: $3.7 Million Raised to Build the Future of Rideshare 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 Douglas Ver Mulm, CEO & Founder of Stable Insurance, an insurtech company that has raised $3.7 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Origin of Stable Insurance: The company was born out of Doug's experience with his own fleet of rideshare vehicles in NYC, addressing the lack of suitable insurance products for rideshare operators.
Data-Driven Insurance: Stable Insurance leverages real-time data from rideshare platforms, telematics, and dash cams to create a more accurate and personalized insurance pricing model.
Unique Coverage Features: They offer benefits such as income replacement, zero-dollar deductibles with dashcam footage, and rewards for loss control investments, addressing specific needs of rideshare drivers.
Market Focus: Initially targeting individual owner-operators, the company is expanding to serve small fleets and other gig economy drivers, such as those using car-sharing and delivery platforms.
Regulatory Navigation: Successfully launching their own product in Illinois, with plans to expand to additional states including Texas, Arizona, Georgia, and Tennessee by the end of the year, and targeting California and Florida in 2023.
Future Vision: Aiming to offer a comprehensive suite of tools for gig economy drivers, including banking, lending, and health and life insurance products, along with enhanced analytics to help users manage their small businesses more effectively.
//
 
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
 

Bob Suh, CEO of OnCorps: $18M Raised to Help Large Financial Institutions Solve Operational Problems with AI

provider with more than $18 million in funding. Bob is an Applied Economist with a Masters from Harvard, an active angel investor, investing in 20+ enterprise startups over the past decade, and previously served as the Chief Technology Strategist at Accenture.  
Topics discussed:
Bob’s background and what he was doing before founding OnCorps 
What OnCorps does and the problem they solve for customers 
How OnCorp separates itself from all the marketing noise around AI 
Who OnCorps dream customer is and who they compete with today 
How Bob thinks about market categories 
How much traction OnCorps has seen since 2014 (Hint: it solves the word trillions)
What’s in store for the future of OnCorps 

Jason Lavender, CEO of Electives: $10M Raised to Redefine Corporate Training

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 Jason Lavender, CEO & Co-Founder of Electives, a corporate learning platform that has raised over $10 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Electives' Unique Approach: Electives offers interactive, live classes led by a diverse range of instructors, including FBI agents, athletes, professors, and authors, rather than traditional corporate trainers.
Engagement and Interactivity: Addressing the lack of engagement in corporate training, Electives emphasizes live, interactive sessions that allow employees to connect with peers and instructors.
Customer Profile and Traction: Initially targeting mid-sized tech companies, Electives now serves a wide range of enterprises, celebrating milestones such as 100 companies hosting classes and over $1 million paid to teachers.
Teacher Recruitment and Referrals: The platform sources instructors from varied backgrounds, often through referrals from existing teachers, ensuring a wide array of unique and engaging content.
Market Disruption and New Category: Inspired by the book "Play Bigger," Electives aims to create a new category in corporate learning, moving beyond traditional training models to offer comprehensive human development.
Future Vision: Electives aims to be a staple in every company, providing diverse learning experiences that enhance personal and professional growth, while continuing to refine their category definition.
//
 
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
 

Yarden Shaked, CEO, and Founder at Varos: $4M Raised to Revolutionize Competitive Analytics and Break Data Silos

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 Yarden Shaked, CEO and Founder of Varos, a data analytics platform that has raised $4 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Identifying the Problem: Varos addresses the lack of comparative data analytics for e-commerce and SaaS companies by allowing them to benchmark key metrics like customer acquisition cost and retention rate against similar businesses.
Give to Get Model: The platform's value proposition is built on a cooperative model where users must share their data to access aggregated and anonymized insights from others, creating a robust data ecosystem.
YC Experience: Yarden highlights the intensity and value of Y Combinator, emphasizing the importance of staying lean, focusing on growth, and the crucial lessons learned from interacting with other talented founders.
Category Creation: Varos is pioneering the competitive data analytics category, offering unique insights that traditional analytics tools lack, thereby requiring significant market education and evangelism.
Navigating Challenges: Building a new category involves overcoming significant hurdles, including customer education and validating the hypothesis that businesses need and will benefit from comparative analytics.
Future Vision: Yarden is motivated by the challenge of proving the Varos hypothesis, expanding the user base, and scaling the team to establish a new standard in data analytics.
//
 
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