BUILDERS

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Greg Fallon, CEO of Geminus, an industrial AI optimization platform that's raised $12 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Greg’s background in mechanical engineering, being a lifelong nerd and having a passion for innovation Geminus’ goal of making machines more efficient  How increasing the efficiency of big plants and equipment can positively impact the environment Strategies Greg uses to cut through the noise in the AI industry 3 important lessons Greg learned from fundraising //   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

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Ben Goldin, CEO and Founder of Plumery, a digital engagement platform for banks that's raised $4.5 Million in funding. Topics Discussed:  Ben’s background as a nerdy teenager in Lithuania and his career in tech for banking CEOs that inspire Ben, and two books that are important to him How Plumery helps mid-to-small size banks all over the world build delightful customer experiences and stay relevant and innovative Ben’s strategies for standing out from the competition Why Ben’s advice to his past self starting out would be “don’t be too serious”   Favorite book:  Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder

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 Khaled Naim, CEO & Founder of Onfleet, a last mile delivery solution that's raised $42 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Early Inspiration: Khaled's firsthand experience with inefficient location communication in Dubai inspired the creation of Onfleet. Pivot to Last Mile Delivery: After realizing the challenges with their initial product, Addy, Khaled and his co-founders pivoted to solving the last mile delivery problem, identifying a significant market need. Customer-Centric Product Development: Onfleet’s initial product iterations were based on direct feedback from early paying customers, highlighting the importance of listening to customer needs. Trust Building: Despite early technical challenges, Onfleet's commitment to reliability and customer satisfaction helped build trust with mission-critical operations. Competitive Positioning: Onfleet differentiates itself through superior product quality, user-friendly interfaces, and a strong focus on customer support, positioning it as a premium solution in a crowded market. Future Vision: Khaled envisions Onfleet as the hub for all things last mile delivery, integrating various delivery modes and expanding support for driver sourcing, payments, and financial products.

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Melodie van der Baan, Co-Founder and CEO at Max Retail, an excess inventory solution that's raised $10 Million in funding. Topics Discussed:  Melodie’s background founding two companies and working in the retail industry without having an education in it  Who’s the founder (and co-worker) that most inspires Melodie, and what book she buys for every single person who works for her The origin story of Max Retail, and how it helps independent retailers and brands sell excess merchandise to customers they wouldn’t otherwise be able to reach The importance of Melodie’s husband in her journey, and why her advice to any founder is to pick the right life partner Why Melodie loves fundraising   Favorite book:  The Greatest Salesman in the World

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 Tony Migliore, CEO & Founder of Moova, a last-mile logistics platform that's raised over $18 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Innovative Logistics Solutions: Moova optimizes last-mile logistics by tapping into unused vehicle capacity and providing real-time routing, significantly reducing emissions and improving efficiency. Extensive Footprint: Moova operates in nine countries across Latin America, making it the largest logistics technology provider in the region. The company is planning to expand globally, including to the US and Europe. Unique Market Approach: By focusing on same-day delivery and licensing their technology to other logistics companies, Moova addresses the most challenging aspect of logistics and scales efficiently. Strong Company Values: Moova's success is driven by its core values of growth, positivity, speed, innovation, and continuous learning, which are deeply embedded in its culture and hiring practices. Strategic Fundraising: Tony emphasizes the importance of choosing the right investors who understand the market and add value beyond capital, a strategy that has contributed to Moova’s substantial growth and success. Long-Term Vision: Tony aims to make Moova the obvious choice for optimizing logistics in an innovative and sustainable way, striving to turn their technology into a global standard. //   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

In today's episode of Category Visionaries we speak with John Lunn, CEO and Founder of Gr4vy, a payment orchestration platform that's raised over $27 Million in funding. Topics Discussed:  John’s background as a marine biologist who’s worked in payments for decades and helped start other companies, including PayPal John's most admired individuals, and sci-fi books that have influenced him Why payments are a problem area for online retailers, and how Gr4vy helps them manage payments with ease and flexibility The current payment landscape, and why trying to sell a payment system to a company’s payments team is the wrong move Why it’s important to pick VCs that you like as people, and why John would advise his past self to grow his company slower   Favorite book:  The Culture (9 book series)

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Trenor Williams, CEO and Co-Founder of Socially Determined, a social risk intelligence platform that's raised $34 Million in funding. Topics Discussed:  Trenor’s background, including his time working in restaurants and bars, and his career as a family practice physician The founder that most inspires Trenor, and a book that really impacted Trenor’s thinking How Socially Determined takes 800 data elements to analyze healthcare access and health risks for 270 million individuals in the US, helping health plans make better decisions The challenges of selling long-term solutions and the importance of establishing relationships  Lessons from fundraising, and what advice Trenor would give to his younger self when starting out   Favorite book:  The Working Poor: Invisible in America

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Joshua Riedy, CEO and Founder of Thread, an autonomous inspection platform that's raised roughly $20 Million in funding. Topics Discussed:  Joshua’s background, meeting his Thread co-founders while creating software for FedEx, and getting funded by Microsoft’s Brad Smith The tech ecosystem in North Dakota, where Joshua is from and operates Why The Revenant is a book that influenced and inspired Joshua The origin story of Thread, and how it empowers front-line workers to diagnose problems in the energy grid infrastructure in a safer and more efficient way Getting a first customer that will only pay when you prove yourself, and working with celebrity investors  Favorite book:  The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge

In today's episode of Category Visionaries we speak with Gabriel Bayomi, CEO and Co-Founder of Openlayer, a debugging workspace for machine learning that's raised $4.8 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Gabriel’s background as a Brazilian student of engineering, moving to the US, and working on Apple’s then-secret Vision Pro project Why Henrique Dubugras is Gabriel’s greatest inspiration as a CEO Why it’s hard to test machine-learning software, and how Openlayer makes that easier to do What Gabriel learned from his time at Y Combinator, and why it’s important to be humble and ask for help The current AI landscape, marketing, and why product-market fit is not an absolute Favorite book:  From Impossible to Inevitable: How SaaS and Other Hyper-Growth Companies Create Predictable Revenue

In today's episode of Category Visionaries we speak with Wade Arnold, CEO and Founder of Moov, an embedded payments platform that's raised $77.5 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Wade’s background across several companies, and his frustration at payment platforms that are built on top of outdated infrastructure The entrepreneurs and authors that most inspire Wade Why less than 8% of SaaS companies have payments integrated into their platforms, and how Moov helps them change that The roller-coaster of being an entrepreneur, including getting too excited and taking premature decisions Why the one piece of advice Wade would give to his younger self goes against what every startup book says   Favorite book:  WTF? What’s the Future and Why It’s Up to Us