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 Mike Weiland, CEO & Co-Founder of Govly, a public sector procurement platform that’s raised over $13 Million in funding.

Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:

- From Necessity to Innovation: Govly was born out of the need for software to manage internal operations at Mike’s previous government contracting company, leading to a platform that now serves the industry.

- The Value of Process in Government Contracting: Despite the bureaucracy, Mike highlights the dependability of government contracts due to their strict rules and regulations.

- Misconceptions About Government Contracting: Many believe that all government opportunities are available on public forums like Sam.gov, but Mike explains the importance of private contract vehicles in the process.

- Marketing Approach: Initially, Govly’s growth was driven by founder-led sales and word-of-mouth, with a significant marketing push only beginning recently.

- Challenges in Fundraising: Timing and market conditions play crucial roles in successful fundraising. Maintaining relationships with top VC firms is essential.

- Growth and Stickiness: Govly’s platform has become business-critical for its users, leading to significant growth, from $360,000 ARR in 2022 to an expected $4 million by the end of this year.




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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

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 Mykolas Rambus, CEO & Co-Founder of Hush, a cybersecurity company that’s raised $7.5 Million in funding.

Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:

- Navigating the .com Bubble: Mykolas shared how his first company, Lobby7, navigated the .com bubble burst by pivoting business models and ultimately selling in 2003.

- Building Wealthex: Wealthex emerged from the 2008 financial crisis, providing a Bloomberg-like platform for private bankers using public internet data, leading to a successful exit.

- The Birth of Hush: Hush was founded to address data privacy, focusing on removing personal information from the internet to prevent cyberattacks on employees.

- Tackling Cybersecurity Threats: Mykolas discussed the rise of AI-driven cyber threats and how Hush proactively mitigates risks by eliminating accessible personal data.

- Effective Marketing in Cybersecurity: Hush’s marketing strategy revolves around building trust through referrals and email campaigns to ensure companies are aware of the service when they need it.

- Vision for Privacy: Mykolas envisions a future where 20% of the American workforce is protected by services like Hush, significantly reducing cybersecurity risks and enhancing data privacy.



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

from tech’s most innovative B2B founders. In today’s episode, we’re speaking with Liz Gilligan, CEO & Founder of Material Evolution, a sustainable cement company that has raised $19 Million in funding.

Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:

- Cement Chose Liz: Liz transitioned into cement research serendipitously, finding the vast potential impact of decarbonizing an industry responsible for 8% of global emissions.

- Startup in a Garage: Early on, Material Evolution operated from Liz’s parents’ garage, where they developed two tons of material during the pandemic, showing resourcefulness and resilience.

- Initial Target Market: The company’s initial customers are concrete manufacturers in the precast industry, which offers a controlled environment to test and refine their sustainable cement.

- Navigating Traditional Industries: While many traditional cement companies are open to innovation, some resist change. Liz focuses on engaging with forward-thinking clients eager to adopt sustainable solutions.

- Regulatory Changes: The evolving regulatory landscape, including carbon taxes and updated standards, supports the adoption of new, sustainable materials and technologies.

- Challenges of Scaling: Building factories presents significant challenges, from securing adequate power supply to navigating environmental regulations. Material Evolution is learning and iterating from each step in this process.



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

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 Claudius Jehle, CEO & Co-Founder of Volytica Diagnostics, a battery diagnostics platform that has raised over $9 Million in funding.

Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:

- Pioneering Battery Diagnostics: Claudius transitioned from mechanical engineering to e-mobility, focusing on the degradation and quality assessment of electric bus batteries, leading to the foundation of Volytica Diagnostics.

- Innovative Technology Development: Initially working with telematic IoT devices, Claudius developed algorithms to analyze field data from batteries in real-time, which became the core IP of Volytica Diagnostics.

- Navigating Early Challenges: The company faced significant challenges during its early days, especially amid COVID-19, including securing funding and negotiating licensing agreements with academic institutions.

- Strategic Early Adopters: Claudius emphasized the importance of speaking at industry events and leveraging his network to attract early adopters, though he noted the need for a more scalable approach like webinars and online marketing.

- Global Monitoring: Volytica Diagnostics now monitors over a gigawatt hour of batteries across various applications worldwide, including utility-scale systems and public transport, showcasing their expansive growth and traction.

- Critical Go-to-Market Decisions: The decision to focus on API-based integrations and partnering with established companies in the logistics and utility sectors was pivotal, allowing for scalable and widespread adoption of their technology.

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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

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 Lars Grønnegaard Hansen, CEO & Co-Founder at Dreamdata, a B2B revenue attribution platform that has raised over $12 Million in funding.

Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:

- Tech Scene Evolution in Copenhagen: Lars discusses the growth of the tech scene in Copenhagen, highlighting the emergence of successful companies like Vivino and Zendesk, which have paved the way for newer ventures like Dreamdata.

- Dreamdata’s Founding: Coming from a background in user experience and product development at Trustpilot, Lars and his co-founders launched Dreamdata to address the challenges B2B marketers face in linking marketing efforts directly to revenue generation.

- Focus on Data Integration: Dreamdata differentiates itself by integrating deeply with modern data stacks, allowing B2B marketers to perform sophisticated revenue attribution and optimize marketing spend based on data-driven insights.

- Changing the Attribution Conversation: Lars emphasizes the shift from using attribution merely as a tool for assigning credit to viewing it as essential for operational optimization and strategic planning in marketing.

- Automated Marketing Optimization: Dreamdata aims to automate B2B marketing processes, drawing parallels to advancements in B2C marketing automation that have transformed customer acquisition strategies.

- The Future Vision for Dreamdata: Looking ahead, Lars sees Dreamdata at the forefront of automating go-to-market strategies for B2B companies, enabling them to scale efficiently with technology-driven solutions.


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

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 Gary Ong, CEO & Founder of Celadyne, a green hydrogen platform that’s raised over $5 Million in funding.

Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:

- Genesis of Celadyne: Gary discussed how his PhD research in material science led to the founding of Celadyne, focusing on hydrogen technologies to aid industrial decarbonization and durable trucking.

- Navigating COVID Challenges: The startup faced significant challenges during COVID-19, including finding alternative lab spaces and working in shifts to maintain progress.

- Simplifying Technology for Commercialization: Gary explained how focusing on the most critical feature—gas permeability—helped streamline the development
process and reduce the commercialization timeline.

- Government Contracts: Securing contracts with the Department of Energy and Department of Defense required patience and a deep understanding of their unique needs and specifications.

- High-Touch Marketing Approach: Celadyne uses a high-touch, B2B marketing strategy, leveraging existing connections within the hydrogen ecosystem to engage with key decision-makers at major OEMs.

- Fundraising Insights: Gary emphasized the importance of selecting investors who offer more than just capital, highlighting the value of expertise and strategic alignment in the fundraising process.

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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