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Conversation
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 Itzik Alvas, CEO & Co-Founder of Entro Security, a non-human identity management platform that has raised $24 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
- Military Experience Taught Perseverance: Itzik credits his time in the Israeli Defense Force, specifically in the cyber intelligence unit, for shaping his approach to perseverance. This has been crucial in overcoming challenges as an entrepreneur.
- Non-Human Identity Management Innovation: After multiple cybersecurity breaches in his previous roles, Itzik identified a massive gap in managing non-human identities and secrets. This personal experience directly led to the creation of Entro Security.
- Early Days Post-Seed Raise: The first few months after securing seed funding were highly operational—setting up offices, building the team, and finding early design partners to provide feedback on their solution.
- Creating a New Market Category: Entro Security is pioneering the non-human identity management space, addressing the growing issue of programmatic credentials that are often mishandled by DevOps teams, posing significant security risks.
- Unique, Memorable Branding: Unlike traditional cybersecurity companies, Entro’s branding is youthful, fun, and memorable, a conscious choice to stand out in an industry that often feels sterile and overly serious.
- Go-To-Market Approach: Entro’s sales efforts are focused on direct sales and channel partnerships, with a primary focus on the US market. Itzik emphasizes the importance of aligning go-to-market strategies with event participation based on specific goals like lead generation or brand awareness.
Actionable
Takeaways
Identify a Critical Market Gap Through Personal Experience:
Itzik’s motivation to create Entro Security came from his firsthand experience dealing with multiple cybersecurity breaches involving non-human identities. Founders should closely analyze pain points they encounter in their own careers to uncover high-impact opportunities that may not be adequately addressed by existing solutions.
Operational Efficiency is Key in the Early Stages:
After their seed raise, Itzik and his team quickly moved into execution mode, addressing operational necessities like office space, hiring, and banking. Having a pre-compiled checklist before raising funds allows founders to hit the ground running, making early progress smoother and more structured.
Secure Early Design Partners for Product Validation:
Itzik highlighted the importance of securing early design partners to validate the product’s direction. Founders should seek out potential customers, even if they aren’t paying at first, to ensure product-market fit and to gather invaluable feedback on how to refine their solution.
Stand Out with Memorable Branding, Even in B2B:
In an industry where many companies blend in, Itzik chose to make Entro’s branding fun and distinct, aligning more with a B2C vibe while maintaining a B2B focus. For founders, this highlights the value of bold and memorable branding to differentiate in competitive markets, even in traditionally serious sectors like cybersecurity.
Tailor Event Participation to Your Goals:
When approaching industry events, Itzik emphasized having a clear objective, whether it’s lead generation or brand awareness. Founders should be strategic with their event investments, focusing resources on aligning with the event's strengths, like pipeline creation or positioning, to maximize ROI.
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