Category Visionaries Front Lines Media

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 René Janssen, CEO & Founder of Lepaya, an employee training platform that has raised over $85 Million in funding.

Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:

- Global Upskilling Need: René describes the universal need for upskilling among the 3.3 billion global workforce, driven by rapid changes in job requirements and skill sets. Lepaya addresses this by offering a platform that combines technology with human expertise to enhance work effectiveness and prevent burnout.

- Personal Drive: The idea for Lepaya stemmed from René’s own experiences at Lazada, where he observed significant inefficiencies and employee turnover due to inadequate skills training and development processes.

- Combination of Tech and Human Touch: Lepaya differentiates itself by integrating technology with human-led training, recognizing that essential workplace skills—like leadership and communication—are inherently human and benefit from real interaction.

- Market Size and Opportunity: The global market for employee development is vast, with current spending estimated at around $400 billion annually. Lepaya positions itself within the ’people development’ category, focusing on universally applicable skills across industries.

- Challenges in Market Adoption: Initially, Lepaya faced challenges in market penetration due to its innovative approach, which significantly deviates from traditional training methods. The solution required educating potential clients about the unique benefits of integrating technology with personalized human training.

- Vision for the Future: René envisions Lepaya as a leader in the people development space, significantly impacting how companies invest in human capital to remain competitive and ensure employee well-being and productivity.

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 Chloe Smith, CEO & Co-Founder of Mercator AI, an AI-powered business development platform for commercial general contractors that has raised $4.5 Million in funding.

Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:

- Background and Inspiration: Chloe comes from a background in data strategy and marketing, not directly from construction, but her family’s involvement in the industry piqued her interest and led to the inception of Mercator AI.

- Cross-Industry Application: Although her background is not in construction, Chloe’s experience in data strategy and marketing allowed her to identify and address a gap in the construction industry, demonstrating the value of cross-industry application of skills.

- Foundational Shifts: Mercator AI helps construction businesses identify early project opportunities by tracking land development, which allows their clients to engage earlier and more effectively in potential projects.

- Navigating Industry Challenges: Chloe discusses the challenges of transitioning from other sectors to construction tech, highlighting the importance of understanding and adapting to industry-specific dynamics.

- Focus on Business Development: The platform is designed to ’force multiply’ the efforts of business developers in the construction industry by streamlining the research and pursuit process, fundamentally changing how contractors approach new opportunities.

- Early Struggles and Adjustments: Reflecting on the initial challenges, Chloe emphasizes the importance of resilience and adaptability, sharing an anecdote about early investor interactions that shaped the company’s trajectory.

Welcome to another episode of Category Visionaries — Funding the Future. In today’s episode, we’re speaking with Adam Nelson, Managing Director at FirstMark Capital, a leading venture capital firm that has played a pivotal role in shaping the tech landscape through strategic early-stage investments.

Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:

- Dropbox’s Vision and Evolution: Adam reflects on his time at Dropbox, highlighting the company’s ambitious vision to become the internet’s file system, a vision that evolved as the digital landscape shifted towards more consumer-focused applications like photos and social media.

- Impact of Talent Networks: The significance of being surrounded by top-tier talent at Dropbox, which Adam describes as crucial for his development and the opportunities to collaborate with leading figures in tech who are now influencing major platforms like Figma and Notion.

- Transition to Venture Capital: Adam discusses his move from Dropbox to the venture capital world, initially at Social Capital, where he was drawn by the dynamic environment and the chance to work with visionary entrepreneurs.

- FirstMark Capital’s Focused Approach: At FirstMark, Adam appreciates the firm’s clarity in purpose, focusing exclusively on deep partnerships with founders from early stages through to IPOs, contrasting with broader aims at other firms.

- New York vs. Bay Area Ecosystems: Adam contrasts the tech ecosystems in New York and the Bay Area, noting New York’s diverse industries and its potential to foster unique and transformational tech applications.

- Advice for Seed and Series A Founders: Adam provides targeted advice for founders at different stages of their entrepreneurial journey, emphasizing the importance of clear, strategic planning and understanding the market’s needs to ensure venture scalability and investor interest.

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 Omar Abou-Sayed, Co-Founder & Executive Chairman of Vaulted Deep, a carbon removal company that has raised $8 Million in funding.

Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:

- Early Career at BP: Omar’s career began in 1998 at BP, where he was immediately involved in projects aiming for compliance with the Kyoto protocol, showcasing BP’s early commitment to environmental standards.

- Diverse Experience: Before his entrepreneurial journey, Omar worked across various sectors within BP, including deepwater operations and international business development, and played a pivotal role in spinning off BP’s chemical division into a standalone company.

- Transition to Entrepreneurship: After an MBA from Harvard Business School and a stint as an entrepreneur in residence at TPG, Omar ventured into the clean tech and energy services sectors, eventually founding Vaulted Deep based on technology developed by his father.

- The Birth of Vaulted Deep: Vaulted Deep emerged from the realization that carbon could be effectively sequestered in organic matter using a technology initially invented for environmental remediation in the oil industry. This idea, however, had to wait for the carbon credit market to mature.

- Market Evolution and Strategy: Omar discusses the bifurcation of the carbon market into emissions reduction and carbon removal, highlighting Vaulted Deep’s position in the latter as it aims to become the largest, high-quality carbon removal company.

- Future Vision and Impact: Looking ahead, Omar envisions Vaulted Deep expanding significantly, driven by the urgency of climate change and the necessity for scalable, durable carbon removal solutions.

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 Arvin Ganesan, CEO at Fourth Power, a thermal battery energy storage company that has raised over $20 Million in funding.

Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:

- Comprehensive Career in Climate Change: Arvin has dedicated his entire career to climate change mitigation, leveraging experiences from government regulatory roles to leading global energy programs at Apple, before becoming the CEO of Fourth Power.

- Regulatory Understanding and Market Entry: Arvin emphasizes the complexity of introducing technology in regulated markets like utilities, highlighting his deep understanding of both regulatory frameworks and customer needs as critical to his leadership at Fourth Power.

- Transition from EPA to Apple: Arvin’s move from the EPA to Apple represented a significant shift from regulatory work to corporate influence in renewable energy, providing him with a unique perspective on driving change from outside the government.

- Innovative Approach to Energy Storage: Fourth Power is pioneering in the long-duration battery space by using materials like graphite to store energy, which can power thousands of homes for days and is positioned as a cleaner and more scalable alternative to traditional battery materials.

- Challenges and Opportunities in Energy Startups: Arvin discusses the challenges of navigating a startup in a heavily regulated industry and the opportunities that arise from understanding and adapting to these regulations rather than attempting to overhaul them.

- Vision for Fourth Power: Looking forward, Arvin shares his vision for Fourth Power to dramatically scale up their operations, manufacturing reliable and cost-effective long-duration batteries that align with market demands and regulatory frameworks, ultimately making renewable energy more accessible and economical.

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 Quentin Scrimshire, CEO & Co-Founder at Modo Energy, an energy asset benchmarking platform that has raised $20 Million in funding.

Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:

- Pivotal Shifts: Quentin shared the story of Modo Energy’s significant pivot from an initial focus on trading power through battery assets to becoming a benchmarking company for the energy sector.

- Strategic Location: Modo Energy’s decision to establish its U.S. base in Austin, Texas was influenced by the vibrant technology scene, the lifestyle it offered, and strategic access to the burgeoning renewable energy market fueled by the Inflation Reduction Act.

- Survival Through Innovation: Facing near bankruptcy, Quentin and his team bet everything on a new direction for Modo Energy, focusing on publishing performance benchmarks for energy assets—a move that saved the company.

- Market Validation: The rapid market validation following their pivot, where initial concept testing with potential customers quickly turned into a profitable business model, illustrating the demand for transparent benchmarking in the energy sector.

- Community and Media Strategy: Quentin discussed how Modo Energy invests heavily in media and community, using high-quality video content and large-scale networking events to build brand presence and engage both existing customers and prospects effectively.