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 Bill Moore, CEO & Founder of XONA, an OT user access platform that has raised over $30 Million in funding.

Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:

• The Origin of XONA: Bill shared that XONA began with the goal of simplifying secure remote access for OT environments. Initially focused on making VDI simpler for the DoD, the company expanded into a broader secure access platform used widely in commercial sectors.
• From Idea to Market: It took a year from concept to their first paying customer, achieved by working closely with beta customers and testing prototypes in real-world environments before having a fully developed product.
• A Market Pivot: Although originally targeting the DoD, Bill discovered a huge opportunity in commercial OT sectors, particularly in natural gas distribution, which led to XONA's focus on industrial controls and OT systems.
• The “Guerrilla” Marketing Strategy: Early on, Bill employed a scrappy, grassroots approach to marketing by attending industry events, shaking hands, and networking—long before they could afford a booth or formal marketing campaigns.
• Category Creation in OT: XONA is redefining identity and access management for OT, where users interact with machines and operational processes rather than data. This approach requires distinct solutions from traditional IT systems, creating a new market category.
• Global Expansion: XONA is now operating in over 35 countries through its partnership with GE, focusing on OT cybersecurity in sectors like power generation, manufacturing, and other critical infrastructure.