Keeping up with the Speed of AI: A Tech Startup Journey with BackEngine
In this episode of Tech Startup Stories, Natalie Binns reconnects with Eli Portnoy, founder and CEO of BackEngine, to explore how the company has evolved over the past year while navigating the rapidly changing world of artificial intelligence and enterprise software.
BackEngine helps organisations integrate AI into existing business workflows, enabling teams to automate processes, improve productivity, and unlock greater value from emerging AI technologies. Eli shares how advances in generative AI have reshaped both customer expectations and software development, requiring startups to adapt faster than ever before while remaining focused on solving meaningful business problems.
The conversation explores AI adoption, enterprise software, startup growth, product strategy, customer experience, change management, and the future of AI-powered business tools. Eli also reflects on why successful AI implementation depends as much on people and organisational change as it does on technology itself.
This episode is ideal for startup founders, SaaS leaders, product managers, AI professionals, and anyone interested in the future of enterprise software and artificial intelligence.
Sacrificing for Growth: A Tech Startup Journey with Passionfruit
In this episode of Tech Startup Stories, Natalie Binns reconnects with Aditya Jain, co-founder and CEO of Passionfruit, to explore how the company has evolved over the past year while operating at the intersection of AI, marketing, and search.
Passionfruit helps businesses improve visibility across AI search engines, traditional search, paid media, and emerging discovery channels, while also developing AI-powered marketing tools that help teams automate workflows and scale more effectively. Aditya shares how the business exceeded growth expectations, remained profitable, and transformed insights from its services business into Oz, an AI-native platform designed to support modern marketing teams.
The conversation explores AI marketing trends, startup growth, product development, founder leadership, profitability, and the challenges of building in a market that changes almost weekly. Aditya also reflects on the importance of staying close to customers, adapting quickly to industry shifts, and balancing innovation with sustainable business growth.
This episode is ideal for startup founders, marketers, SaaS leaders, AI professionals, and anyone interested in building businesses within rapidly evolving industries.
Trust Your Gut: A Tech Startup Journey with Zonova Technologies
In this episode of Tech Startup Stories, Natalie Binns speaks with Dr. Georgia Fleet, founder and CEO of Zonova Technologies, about building a medtech startup focused on preventing hospital-acquired infections through antimicrobial medical device technology.
Fresh from securing a successful seed funding round, Georgia shares the journey from PhD research to commercialising breakthrough healthcare innovation. The conversation explores how Zonova Technologies developed a novel antimicrobial additive that can be integrated directly into medical devices to help reduce infection risk without disrupting existing manufacturing processes or clinical workflows.
Georgia also discusses the realities of fundraising as a female founder, building a startup in the medtech sector, securing strategic investors, and preparing for the next phase of commercial growth. The episode offers valuable insights into healthcare innovation, medical devices, startup fundraising, commercialisation, and scaling impact-driven businesses.
This episode is ideal for startup founders, medtech professionals, healthcare innovators, investors, and anyone interested in science-led entrepreneurship.
The Right Channels: A Tech Startup Journey with Overe
In this episode of Tech Startup Stories, Natalie Binns reconnects with Paul Barnes, founder and CEO of Overe, to discuss the realities of scaling a cybersecurity startup over the last 12 months and the lessons learned while building within the Microsoft 365 security ecosystem.
Overe is a cybersecurity platform focused on continuous assurance and identity security for Microsoft 365 environments, helping managed service providers and enterprises improve visibility, reduce security risk, and automate complex policy analysis that would traditionally require extensive consultancy work.
Paul shares how the company evolved from focusing primarily on product-market fit to building stronger revenue foundations through channel partnerships, international expansion, and refined customer qualification strategies. The conversation explores the complexities of selling new cybersecurity technologies through distributors, the challenges of balancing enterprise opportunities with a focused ICP, and how AI and lean operations are helping the business scale more efficiently.
This episode is ideal for startup founders, cybersecurity professionals, MSPs, SaaS leaders, and anyone interested in channel-led growth, product strategy, and building sustainable technology businesses.
Beyond the Tech: A Tech Startup Journey with Bytespark.ai
In this episode of Tech Startup Stories, Natalie Binns reconnects with Dr Ali Raza, founder and CEO of ByteSpark.ai, to explore how the business has evolved over the past year through product pivots, AI innovation, and the realities of scaling a startup in a rapidly changing market.
ByteSpark.ai is an AI-driven recruitment and decision intelligence platform designed to help organisations identify stronger candidates, improve hiring accuracy, and make better people decisions through behavioural and contextual analysis rather than outdated keyword filtering systems.
Dr Ali Raza shares the lessons learned from navigating product-market fit, repositioning the business model, and building trust-based partnerships while operating in a challenging regional and economic environment. The conversation also explores the development of Persona, ByteSpark.ai’s behavioural assessment and decision intelligence platform, which helps organisations evaluate leadership fit, team compatibility, and long-term hiring potential.
This episode is ideal for startup founders, HR leaders, recruiters, AI professionals, and anyone interested in recruitment technology, behavioural intelligence, and the future of AI-assisted hiring.
Doing Good: A Tech Startup Journey with GoodBreach
In this episode of Tech Startup Stories, Natalie Binns speaks with Richa Gupta, founder and CEO of GoodBreach, a behavioural fintech startup helping young adults reduce impulse spending and build healthier saving habits.
Drawing from her background in engineering, enterprise sales, and fintech, Richa shares how a personal experience with her younger sister inspired the creation of GoodBreach, a platform designed to intervene before unnecessary purchases happen. Rather than focusing on budgeting after the fact, the app uses behavioural insights, spending analysis, and real-time nudges to help users redirect money towards meaningful financial goals.
The conversation explores the realities of building a fintech startup from scratch, including conducting user research, finding the right developers, navigating FCA compliance, and balancing product iteration with long-term vision. Richa also discusses the wider ambition behind GoodBreach, including the future of “Save Now, Buy Later” technology and how behavioural finance could reshape consumer spending.
This episode is ideal for founders, fintech professionals, behavioural product designers, and anyone interested in startup building, financial wellbeing, and AI-driven consumer technology.
Cutting Through Noise: A Tech Startup Journey with Bruin
In this episode of Tech Startup Stories, Natalie Binns speaks with Burak Karakan, co-founder and CEO of Bruin, about building a data and AI platform shaped by real operational frustration.
Burak shares how years of working with complex data workflows led to the creation of Bruin, a product designed to simplify how organisations access, manage, and act on their data. The conversation explores how early experimentation, repeated failure, and close customer collaboration helped refine the product into something businesses are willing to pay for.
The episode also examines what it takes to build in a crowded AI market, where trust, reliability, and long-term value matter more than visibility. Burak reflects on hiring, co-founder alignment, and the importance of focusing on real problems rather than building in isolation.
For founders, data teams, and product builders, this episode offers practical insight into product-market fit, scaling with intention, and building resilient technology companies.
Funding Fun: A Tech Startup Journey with Uniblock
In this episode of Tech Startup Stories, Natalie Binns speaks with Kevin Callahan, founder of Uniblock, about building infrastructure in the fast-evolving Web3 ecosystem.
Kevin shares how Uniblock is addressing one of the biggest challenges in blockchain development: fragmentation. By providing a unified API that connects multiple infrastructure providers, the platform simplifies how developers build, scale, and manage Web3 applications.
The conversation explores the realities of building in a volatile market, where sentiment, funding, and adoption shift rapidly. Kevin reflects on the importance of focusing on fundamentals, improving developer experience, and creating long-term value beyond short-term hype.
For founders, developers, and those interested in Web3, this episode offers practical insight into simplifying complex systems, building resilient products, and navigating uncertainty in emerging technology markets.
Patents, Pressure, and Persistence: A Tech Startup Journey with Netarx
In this episode of Tech Startup Stories, Natalie Binns reconnects with Sandy Kronenberg, founder and CEO of Netarx, to explore how the cybersecurity landscape has evolved in the age of AI-driven threats.
Sandy shares how rapid advancements in artificial intelligence are accelerating the rise of deepfakes, avatars, and social engineering attacks, fundamentally changing how organisations think about identity and trust. Netarx is positioned at the forefront of this shift, building solutions that enable continuous identity verification across communication channels and address the growing risks within the human layer of security.
The conversation explores how market awareness is catching up, with increasing demand from large enterprises, evolving compliance standards, and a growing recognition that traditional cybersecurity tools alone are no longer sufficient. It also highlights the emergence of non-human identities (NHIs), and the new risks associated with automated systems interacting without direct human oversight.
For founders, cybersecurity professionals, and technology leaders, this episode offers valuable insight into building in an emerging category, navigating early adoption challenges, and preparing for the next wave of AI-driven threats.
Creating a legacy: A Tech Startup Journey with Alhena
In this episode of Tech Startup Stories, Natalie Binns speaks with Ashu Dubey, founder and CEO of Alhena, about building an AI-driven platform in one of the most competitive and rapidly evolving sectors in technology.
Ashu shares his journey from early startup experience to launching Alhena, highlighting key lessons around monetisation, product-market fit, and navigating pivots. The conversation explores how Alhena evolved from supporting online communities to powering e-commerce growth through conversational AI, product discovery, and customer engagement.
The episode also examines the challenges of building in a crowded AI landscape, where differentiation is difficult and customer expectations are constantly shifting. Ashu discusses how focusing on real outcomes, rather than features, has helped position Alhena as a platform that drives both efficiency and revenue.
For founders, SaaS operators, and those building in AI or e-commerce, this episode offers practical insight into scaling a product, identifying market opportunities, and executing with clarity in a fast-moving environment.
The Strategic Pivot: A Tech Startup Journey with JointFlows
In this episode of Tech Startup Stories, Natalie Binns speaks with Mick Gosset, founder of JointFlows, about building a platform designed to bring structure and clarity to B2B partnerships.
Mick shares how JointFlows is addressing the challenges of managing complex partnership ecosystems, where processes are often fragmented, manual, and difficult to scale. The conversation explores how the platform is evolving to support better collaboration, streamline workflows, and create more visibility across partner relationships.
The episode also dives into the realities of early-stage startup growth, including the importance of continuous iteration, listening closely to users, and adapting the product to fit real-world behaviours. Alongside this, Mick reflects on balancing the demands of building a company with personal life, and the patience required to navigate uncertainty in the early stages.
For founders, SaaS operators, and those working in partnerships or ecosystem-led growth, this episode offers practical insight into building solutions for complex, human-driven problems.
Darkest before the Dawn: A Tech Startup Journey with First Concepts
In this episode of Tech Startup Stories, Natalie Binns speaks with Polina Sali, co-founder and CPO of First Concepts, about building a product at the intersection of creativity, design, and artificial intelligence.
Polina shares her non-linear journey from architecture to startups, shaped by global disruption, experimentation across disciplines, and a deep curiosity about how creative and technical thinking can work together. The conversation explores how First Concepts is addressing the fragmentation of creative workflows by providing a centralised space for ideas, references, and execution.
The episode also examines how AI is being applied in a more intentional way, supporting rather than replacing creative work, and how founders can navigate uncertainty, financial pressure, and pivotal moments that redefine their path.
For founders, designers, and product builders, this episode offers valuable insight into building in emerging spaces, creating tools for creatives, and developing products that align with how people actually think and work.
Reflecting for Growth: A Tech Startup Journey with Introstars
In this episode of Tech Startup Stories, Natalie Binns reconnects with Mike Adams, founder of IntroStars, to explore how the business has evolved over the past 12 months and what it takes to scale a platform built on human connection.
Mike shares how IntroStars is transforming the way business introductions are made, tracked, and rewarded, creating a structured ecosystem where relationships drive measurable outcomes. From growing a global community of “super connectors” to expanding into key markets such as New York and Silicon Valley, this episode dives into the realities of building a network-driven platform in a digital-first world.
The conversation also explores the challenges of changing user behaviour, the importance of reducing friction in product design, and how consistent experimentation led to the development of IntroStars’ recommendation engine. Alongside this, Mike reflects on the role of serendipity in business growth, including how a chance meeting led to securing investment.
For founders, operators, and anyone interested in community-led growth, referral platforms, and B2B networking strategies, this episode offers practical insight into scaling through trust, partnerships, and meaningful connections.
Don't Underestimate the Power of Time: A Tech Startup Journey with GAIO Tech
In this episode of Tech Startup Stories, Natalie Binns speaks with Sophie Carr, founder and CEO of GAIO Tech, about building a startup in the rapidly evolving world of generative AI.
Sophie shares her journey from early-stage failures and pivoting away from an EdTech startup, to identifying a new opportunity in Generative AI Optimisation (GAIO). Drawing on her background in SEO and content strategy, she explains how brands can influence AI-generated responses and why this represents a fundamental shift in digital visibility.
The conversation explores the realities of startup building, including the importance of resilience, finding the right co-founder, and learning when to pivot based on market signals. Sophie also breaks down her approach to scaling, why focusing on fewer, high-quality clients can outperform rapid growth, and how building a product-led business requires a different mindset from service-based work.
This episode is ideal for founders, marketers, and operators interested in AI, SEO, and the practical challenges of building a tech startup from the ground up.
Learning What Works: A Tech Startup Journey with Demand Genius
In this episode of Tech Startup Stories, Natalie Binns reconnects with Tom Rudnai, co-founder of Demand Genius, to explore how the business has evolved over the past 12 months following its early-stage growth and pre-seed funding round.
Tom shares an honest perspective on what really changes after raising investment, from increased external credibility to the internal pressures of delivering on expectations. The conversation dives into how Demand Genius has navigated a highly competitive and rapidly evolving AI search market, shifting its focus from content marketing to helping B2B brands influence how they appear in AI-driven platforms like ChatGPT.
The episode also explores the realities of experimentation in startup growth, why many traditional sales and marketing approaches are becoming less effective, and how original research has become a key differentiator in cutting through market noise.
For founders, marketers, and SaaS leaders, this episode offers practical insight into scaling a startup, hiring for early-stage environments, and building a go-to-market strategy in an increasingly crowded landscape.
No Clear Path: A Tech Startup Journey with Mantis Biotech
In this episode of Tech Startup Stories, Natalie Binns speaks with Georgia Witchel, founder and CEO of Mantis Biotech, about building a biotech infrastructure startup from the ground up and navigating the realities of early-stage growth.
Georgia shares how her early exposure to programming shaped her path into technology, and how her experience working in startups led her to identify a critical gap in the biotech space. Mantis Biotech was created to provide foundational software infrastructure for biomedical companies, an area often overlooked compared to more established industries.
The conversation explores the importance of early customer engagement, why cold outreach remains a powerful growth tool, and how Georgia balanced selling and building simultaneously to gain traction. She also reflects on the non-linear nature of startup growth, the challenges of execution, and the lessons learned from her journey through Y Combinator.
For founders, operators, and anyone interested in biotech startups or SaaS infrastructure, this episode offers practical insight into building a company from idea to early scale.
From Scrappy to Scalable: A Tech Startup Journey with AdLib
In this episode of Tech Startup Stories, Natalie Binns speaks with Mike Hauptman, founder of AdLib, about building a programmatic advertising platform in one of the most complex and fragmented areas of marketing.
Mike shares how AdLib evolved from an early-stage idea into a powerful solution that helps agencies and brands consolidate multiple ad platforms into one streamlined workflow. From navigating disconnected systems to improving campaign performance, this conversation explores the real challenges marketers face today and how technology can simplify them.
The episode also dives into Mike’s unconventional founder journey, including years of bootstrapping, multiple product pivots, and a defining moment when his entire infrastructure disappeared overnight. Rather than folding, the team rebuilt stronger, more focused, and fully in control of their future.
If you’re interested in programmatic advertising, ad tech innovation, or building a startup without venture capital, this episode offers practical insights grounded in real experience.
12 Months Stronger: A Tech Startup Journey with Bright Evolve
A year after his first appearance, Tom Bright returns to Tech Startup Stories to share what happens beyond early traction, including scaling Bright Evolve, stepping back from founder-led delivery, building a team, and bringing product development back into focus.
Fighting Founder Fires: A Tech Startup Journey with The Hog
This week on Tech Startup Stories, Natalie Binns speaks with Hudson Liao, founder of AI go-to-market platform The Hog, about building a startup from the ground up in the fast-moving AI martech space.
Hudson shares how his journey from student firefighter to finance, biotech, and startup growth roles shaped his approach to building companies. He explains the challenges of product-led growth, the importance of testing and learning from feedback, and how The Hog uses social intent to identify and connect with the right customers.
The conversation also explores the realities of founder life, balancing a fast-growing startup with running a nonprofit, standing out in a crowded AI market, and Hudson’s perspective on how AI will create new opportunities for those willing to adapt and innovate.
Trust your Vision: A Tech Startup Journey with Trust Verified
This week on Tech Startup Stories, Natalie Binns is joined by Chloe Scott, founder of Trust Verified, to discuss building a trust and verification platform in an industry where credibility is often assumed rather than proven. Chloe reflects on her experience in the property investment space and the lack of oversight that leaves investors exposed, which led her to create a product centred on verified identity, compliance, and evidenced professional references.
The discussion covers shaping the idea through early validation, choosing a lean MVP over premature scale, and building the platform alongside a small group of founding members. Chloe also shares honest insights into navigating the journey without a technical background, resisting shortcuts that conflict with personal values, and learning to trust her own judgement as a first-time founder.
This episode offers a grounded look at building trust as infrastructure, making deliberate trade-offs in the early stages, and growing a tech business with integrity in markets where accountability is often missing.