BUILDERS

Threedy is revolutionizing how industrial companies interact with 3D data through its innovative visual computing infrastructure. Born from the Fraunhofer research organization, Threedy has transformed from a research project into a venture-backed company that's reshaping how organizations utilize complex 3D data across their operations. In this episode of Category Visionaries, I spoke with Christ...

Metafuels is revolutionizing the aviation industry by developing synthetic sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) technology that combines renewable electricity, CO2, and water to produce jet fuel without petroleum feedstock. Having raised $22 million in funding, the company was born during the COVID-19 pandemic when its founders transformed their longtime vision into reality. In this episode of Category...

Siftwell Analytics is revolutionizing how health plans leverage data and AI to improve patient outcomes. With over $5 million in funding, Siftwell combines claims information with proprietary datasets and machine learning to predict patient behavior and explain why certain individuals need specific interventions. In this episode of Category Visionaries, I spoke with Trey Sutten , CEO and Co-Founde...

Soluna is pioneering a new category of renewable computing, building data centers co-located with renewable energy power plants to monetize stranded or wasted energy while providing sustainable compute power for AI workloads. With over $180 million in funding, Soluna is constructing a distributed network of facilities around the country that enables massive AI compute capabilities while driving de...

In a recent episode of Category Visionaries, I sat down with Steffen Vollert , Co-Founder and Interim CEO of Volt , to explore their journey building a global real-time payment network. With over $87 Million in funding, Volt has evolved from a European open banking solution to a worldwide payment infrastructure platform, connecting major payment systems like Pix in Brazil and PayTo in Australia. B...

SEMRON is pioneering the development of revolutionary 3D AI chips that pack massive computing power into a tiny silicon area without overheating. By leveraging an innovative semiconductor device that's ultra-efficient, SEMRON aims to enable the next generation of edge AI capabilities. In this episode of Category Visionaries, I sat down with Aron Kirschen , CEO and co-founder of SEMRON, to explore...

Inclusively is pioneering workplace personalization technology that helps enterprises better support and retain their workforce. With $20 million in funding, Inclusively has evolved from a hiring platform to a comprehensive solution that matches employees' unique needs with company resources and accommodations. In this episode of Category Visionaries, Charlotte Dales shares her journey from sellin...

Blue Frontier is transforming the air conditioning industry with technology that achieves 3x greater efficiency while providing superior climate control and grid benefits. In this episode of Category Visionaries, I spoke with Daniel Betts , CEO and Co-Founder of Blue Frontier , about the company's journey from licensing National Renewable Energy Lab technology to developing next-generation air con...

In a recent episode of Category Visionaries, we spoke with Preston Bryant , Co-Founder, Executive Chair and Chief Commercial Officer of Momentum . The company has developed a groundbreaking materials science technology that enables efficient recycling of critical metals from batteries and other electronic waste. Originally focused on rare earth magnet recycling, Momentum pivoted to tackle the grow...

Uptiv Health is revolutionizing the infusion care market by moving treatments from traditional hospital settings to technology-enabled retail locations. With $7.5M in funding, Uptiv has developed a hybrid model combining personalized in-person care with digital solutions, achieving 99+ NPS scores from patients and 87 NPS from referring providers. Their first center reached break-even within 14 mon...

Caelux is revolutionizing solar technology with their innovative perovskite-based solution that promises to increase solar panel efficiency by 5-6 absolute percentage points while maintaining cost effectiveness. From a small 8-person lab in East Pasadena to a 74-person company with a 50-megawatt demonstration line, Caelux is pioneering a new approach to solar panel manufacturing by working with ex...

Akston Biosciences is revolutionizing pet healthcare through innovative protein engineering and biotechnology solutions. After selling his first company Smart Cells to Merck for over $500M, Todd Zion founded Akston Biosciences in 2011 to apply advanced biotech expertise to the growing pet health market. With over $50M in funding, Akston is developing breakthrough treatments including once-weekly i...

Portrait Analytics is transforming institutional investment research by building an AI-powered thought partner that helps investors throughout their research process. With $10M in funding, Portrait's platform accelerates idea generation, context building, and portfolio monitoring by leveraging advanced language models to analyze vast amounts of financial data. In this episode of Category Visionari...

Renaissance Fusion is pioneering the development of nuclear fusion technology, aiming to create safe, sustainable energy through a innovative approach that combines high-temperature superconductors, stellarator reactors, and liquid metal cooling systems. In this episode of Category Visionaries, Francesco Volpe shares insights into building a deep tech startup in a highly complex and capital-intens...

Savana is pioneering the transformation of healthcare data intelligence through advanced AI and natural language processing. By converting unstructured medical records into actionable databases, Savana enables healthcare providers and researchers to make data-driven decisions and accelerate medical research. In this episode of Category Visionaries, Ignacio Medrano shares his journey from practicin...

In this episode of Category Visionaries, we explore PolyAPI 's journey to revolutionize enterprise middleware. As a category maker in the integration space, PolyAPI is challenging traditional low-code/no-code approaches by enabling developers to build robust enterprise integrations using native programming languages. Through conversations with Darko Vukovic , we learn how his deep industry experie...

Scrona is revolutionizing semiconductor and display manufacturing with its high-accuracy MEMS-based printing platform. In this episode, Patrick Heissler shares his journey since taking the helm as CEO in 2024, focusing on transforming promising research technology into an industrial-scale solution. With $15.5M in funding and partnerships with major semiconductor manufacturers, Scrona is poised to...

ecoLocked , backed by over $6 million in funding, is pioneering a revolutionary approach to carbon removal by developing CO2 negative concrete admixes. In a recent episode of Category Visionaries, co-founder and co-CEO Steff Gerhart shared insights into how the company is leveraging biochar technology to transform the construction industry's environmental impact while scaling carbon removal soluti...

Auquan is revolutionizing financial services by automating the labor-intensive, data-heavy workflows that consume valuable time for investment professionals. With $8 million in funding, Auquan is building an AI-powered intelligence platform that transforms how financial firms extract insights from unstructured data. In this episode of Category Visionaries, we spoke with Chandini Jain about her jou...

Flow is revolutionizing commercial insurance wholesaling through AI-powered operations, focusing on bringing enterprise-grade service to small and mid-market accounts. With $20.6M in funding, Flow has developed a system of AI agents that help brokers streamline every step of the insurance placement process, from submission structuring to policy analysis and comparisons. Topics Discussed: Flow's ev...

Stellar is revolutionizing mobile connectivity by solving one of technology's most persistent challenges: reliable internet access in moving vehicles. With $9.3M in funding, Stellar has developed innovative software that seamlessly aggregates multiple networks (cellular, WiFi, and satellite) to ensure consistent connectivity, laying the foundation for the autonomous vehicle revolution. In this epi...

Pier is revolutionizing credit infrastructure by enabling companies to launch compliant credit products through their API-first solution. Having raised $2.5M from notable investors including Y Combinator, Airbnb, OpenAI, Experian, and Morgan Stanley, Pier is transforming how businesses offer innovative credit solutions to their users. In this episode of Category Visionaries, Jessica Zhang shares h...

Canopy , an API-first loan management and servicing platform, has raised over $30 Million to revolutionize how companies manage and service loans. In this episode of Category Visionaries, Matt Bivons shares his journey from designer to founder, and how Canopy is transforming loan servicing from a cost center into a profit center. With over five years of experience serving B2B lenders, Canopy's pla...

After 25 years in payments, including leading roles at Braintree and PayPal, Klas Bäck noticed a persistent problem: companies were leaving money on the table due to suboptimal payment infrastructure. Despite being data-driven in other areas, even billion-dollar companies made payment decisions without complete, accurate, or timely data. This revelation led him to co-found Pagos , raising $44M to...

ATLAS Space Operations is transforming how satellite operators communicate with their space assets through their innovative ground software as a service platform. With over $37 Million in funding, ATLAS has evolved from providing basic antenna infrastructure access to delivering a comprehensive cloud-based solution that enables satellite operators to efficiently retrieve data from space. In this e...