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Highlights

 

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 Marc Borrett, CEO & Co-Founder of Reactive Technologies, a grid measurement platform that’s raised over $80 Million in funding.

Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:

  • Semiconductor to Energy Transition: Marc leveraged his experience in semiconductors and telecoms to tackle the complex challenges of the energy transition, drawing parallels between the two industries.
  • UK vs. US VC Landscape: The UK venture capital environment in the 90s was less sophisticated and visionary compared to Silicon Valley, focusing more on stable returns for pension funds.
  • Creating a New Category: Reactive Technologies is pioneering real-time grid stability measurement, a category that didn’t previously exist, by leveraging telecom principles in the energy sector.
  • Engineering Insights: The company discovered that grid stability affects signal transmission, leading them to repurpose their technology for measuring grid stability in real time.
  • Building Trust in a Conservative Industry: Success in the risk-averse power industry required Reactive Technologies to demonstrate high technical credibility and prove that their innovations would not destabilize the grid.
  • Long Road to Revenue: It took five and a half years for Reactive Technologies to generate meaningful revenue, highlighting the importance of patience and investor support in deep-tech startups.

 

Actionable
Takeaways

Leverage Cross-Industry Insights:

Applying knowledge and technology from one industry (telecom) to another (energy) can lead to innovative solutions and new market opportunities.

Create and Validate New Categories:

When introducing a novel product or service, be prepared to educate the market and validate the need for your innovation through pilot projects and technical proof points.

Build Technical Credibility:

In conservative industries, establishing trust with potential customers requires demonstrating technical expertise and reliability through data and rigorous testing.

Anticipate Long Sales Cycles:

Deep-tech solutions, especially those impacting critical infrastructure, may have long sales cycles. Prepare for this with patient capital and a strategic go-to-market approach.

Balance Strategic and Financial Investors:

A mix of strategic and financial investors can provide the necessary support and pressure to scale effectively while maintaining fair market practices.

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