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 Chris McCall, CEO & Co-Founder of Valid8, a verified financial intelligence platform that’s raised $14.8 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: - Genesis of Valid8: Chris shared the origin story of Valid8, inspired by a high-profile Ponzi scheme investigation and the need for verified financial data. - First Customer Journey: It took two and a half years to acquire their first paying customer due to the high bar for quality and feature completeness required by accountants and lawyers. - Market Segmentation: Valid8’s primary markets are accounting, government, and legal, with accounting being the largest segment, followed by state and federal government clients. - Marketing Philosophy: The company recently invested in marketing, focusing on a sage persona that delivers deep subject matter expertise to highly sophisticated professionals. - Category Creation: Chris explained the emerging category of Verified Financial Intelligence (VFI), which ensures data quality and supports evidence-based professional opinions. - Future Vision: Valid8 aims to drive transparency and efficiency in the financial system by reducing sample risk and enhancing data transparency, ultimately lowering the cost of capital. 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