Ready to launch your own podcast? Book a strategy call.
Frontlines.io | Where B2B Founders Talk GTM.
Strategic Communications Advisory For Visionary Founders
Conversation
Highlights
PRTI’s Journey: Turning Industrial Waste into Scalable Innovation
Sometimes the biggest opportunities aren’t in creating new markets, but in solving massive existing problems that others have overlooked. In a recent episode of Category Visionaries, Chris Hare shared how PRTI is transforming tire recycling from an environmental challenge into a scalable business opportunity, offering valuable lessons for founders tackling industrial innovation.
The problem PRTI addresses is staggering yet often invisible. “In the US alone, we’re talking about over 300 million tires per year thrown away,” Chris explains. “The reason I think this is a problem most people don’t think about is you only change tires periodically, so you only worry about the cost or the disposal periodically… unlike things like your household trash or plastic bottles that are in front of you every day.”
What makes PRTI’s story particularly instructive is their methodical approach to validation before scale. While many startups rush to market, PRTI spent years proving their technology. “We’ve worked very hard for the last seven, eight years to take this technology from an infancy position right to a point where we’ve run it nearly 10,000 times, where we’ve processed 50 million pounds of tires, where we’ve run it for literally over 100,000 operating hours,” Chris notes. This wasn’t just about processing material – it was about building a foundation for scale.
Their journey highlights a crucial lesson about automation and technological transformation. “When you’re taking a manual process, you maybe don’t understand everything that the process does or what you are really seeing or hearing from the process. When you turn that into lines of code, you have to understand everything,” Chris explains. This insight led to a pivotal moment when they realized their initial automation wasn’t sufficient: “We had automated the process and it still wasn’t performing the way we wanted it to, which meant that we hadn’t automated it the right way yet.”
Instead of pushing forward with a flawed solution, PRTI made the difficult decision to step back and rebuild. As Chris notes, “We may now have another year to not just make the algorithm that we’ve already done, but refine it to the point it’s robust.” This willingness to sacrifice short-term progress for long-term sustainability has proven crucial to their success.
PRTI’s approach to stakeholder communication offers valuable lessons for founders building complex businesses. “We have a slide deck and we have scripts and we have words we use that we change every day because the story changes and the landscape changes every day,” Chris shares. Rather than enforcing rigid messaging, they embrace controlled authenticity, allowing team members to develop their own voice while maintaining consistency.
This extends to investor relations, where PRTI prioritizes honesty over perception management. “If you tell the truth, you never have to remember what you told,” Chris explains. Their approach involves “open communication with our investors… Speak frankly. Speak openly and honestly. And if you’re having a bad day, say you’re having a bad day and say why.”
The company’s growth strategy reflects a deep understanding of institutional capital requirements. “Solving this problem is massive, and the problem is massive. Therefore, the solution has to be massive, which typically means that there’s a lot of money involved,” Chris notes. This reality has shaped their approach to scaling, requiring them to build institutional-grade operations and communication practices early.
Looking ahead, PRTI aims to expand their impact through strategic growth and partnerships. “I would like our technology and our company to have much broader reach in the next five years,” Chris shares. “I would see us having multiple sites in multiple locations and starting to become recognized as a company that’s really doing good and making money.”
Their story demonstrates that some of the most significant opportunities in tech aren’t in creating new markets, but in applying modern technology approaches to solve legacy industrial problems. For founders eyeing similar opportunities, PRTI’s journey offers valuable lessons about the importance of thorough validation, the challenges of automation, and the need to build institutional-grade operations from the ground up.
Actionable
Takeaways
Look for "Too Obvious" Problems That Lack Solutions:
Chris frames the waste tire challenge as a "largely unsolved and unknown problem" that elicits disbelief when people encounter the staggering statistics. He advises founders to be alert for pain points that seem so glaring, most assume they must have already been addressed. Where conventional wisdom says "of course somebody's solving that," there may be a ripe opportunity to be seized by questioning that assumption.
Prioritize Proving Before Scaling:
PRTI invested years in demonstrating the repeatability, reliability, and efficiency of its tire conversion technology before shifting focus to expansion. Chris emphasizes the importance of achieving robust performance through extensive iteration cycles before attempting to scale. Founders bringing new innovations to market should define clear success criteria and focus on fully validating their solution prior to accelerating growth.
Cultivate a Multidisciplinary Team to Navigate Pivots:
Chris highlights the value of PRTI's diverse team, spanning backgrounds from the space program to real estate, in adapting to challenges and finding common threads across industries. When early automation efforts fell short, this multifaceted expertise enabled the company to reset and ultimately succeed. Founders should intentionally build teams with varied skill sets to enhance resilience and creative problem-solving, especially in uncharted domains.
Master the Art of Authentic Storytelling:
PRTI's fundraising success has hinged on its team's ability to craft and continuously refine a resonant narrative. Chris stresses that while storytelling is a science, it must be authentic to each team member to build trust and credibility with investors. Founders should empower their teams to internalize and personalize the company story, while ensuring key messages remain aligned.
Communicate Proactively and Transparently with Investors:
Extending the theme of authenticity, Chris emphasizes the importance of frank and proactive communication with investors, even when the news is mixed. By openly sharing challenges alongside successes, PRTI has cultivated trust and empathy among its backers. Founders should resist the temptation to sugar-coat updates and instead aim for consistent transparency to forge durable investor relationships.
Recommended Founder
Interviews
Marina Azcarate
Head of Marketing of Mitiga Solutions
Marina Azcarate, Head of Marketing at Mitiga Solutions: Driving the Future of Climate Risk with Cutting-Edge Tech
Troy Carter
CEO and Co-Founder of Earthshot Labs
Troy Carter, CEO and Co-Founder of Earthshot Labs: $11 Million Raised to Power the Future of Ecosystem Conservation and Restoration
Joselyn Lai
CEO & Co-Founder of Bedrock Energy
Joselyn Lai, CEO & Co-Founder of Bedrock Energy: $9 Million Raised to Power the Future of Geothermal Energy
Alisa Valderrama
Co-founder and CEO of FutureProof Technologies
Alisa Valderrama, Co-Founder and CEO of FutureProof Technologies: $10 Million Raised to Translate Climate and Weather and Financial Risk with Unprecedented Accuracy
Michael Belenkie
CEO and President of Entropy
Michael Belenkie, CEO and President of Entropy: $300 Million Raised to Spearhead Efficiency and Innovation in the Carbon Capture Economy
Javier Marti
CEO and Founder of Divirod
Javier Marti, CEO & Founder of Divirod: $7.6 Million Raised to Build the Google Maps For Water
Astrid Atkinson
CEO & Co-Founder of Camus Energy
Astrid Atkinson, CEO of Camus Energy: $20 Million Raised to Build the Future of Grid Management
Adam Silver
CEO & Co-Founder of Plural Energy
Adam Silver, CEO & Co-Founder of Plural Energy: $2.8 Million Raised to Build the Future of Clean Energy Investing
Gary Ong
CEO & Founder of Celadyne
Gary Ong, CEO & Founder of Celadyne: $5 Million Raised to Power the Future of Green Hydrogen Production
Matt LeDucq
CEO and Co-Founder of Forum Mobility
Matt LeDucq, CEO & Co-Founder of Forum Mobility: $423 Million Raised to Power the Future of Zero-Emission Trucking
Greg Fallon
CEO of Geminus
Greg Fallon, CEO of Geminus: $12 Million Raised to Help the Industrial Sector Prepare for the Energy Transition
Scott Graybeal
CEO of Caelux
Scott Graybeal, CEO of Caelux: $70 Million Raised to Transform Solar Energy with Perovskite Technology
Gary Lewis
CEO & Co-Founder of Resourcify
Gary Lewis, CEO & Co-Founder of Resourcify: $15 Million Raised to Build the Future of Recycling Management
Kentaro Kawamori
CEO & Co-Founder of Persefoni
Kentaro Kawamori, CEO & Co-Founder of Persefoni: $114 Million Raised to Build the Climate Disclosure & Carbon Management Category
Mukund Karanjikar
CEO of CleanJoule
Mukund Karanjikar, CEO of CleanJoule: $55 Million Raised to Power the Future of Sustainable Aviation Fuel
Steff Gerhart
Co-Founder & Co-CEO of ecoLocked
Steff Gerhart, Co-Founder & Co-CEO of ecoLocked: $6 Million Raised to Transform Buildings into Carbon Sinks
Curtis VanWalleghem
CEO of Hydrostor
Curtis VanWalleghem, CEO of Hydrostor: $322 Million Raised to Build the Future of Energy Storage
Virginia Klausmeier
CEO and Founder of Sylvatex
Virginia Klausmeier, CEO and Founder of Sylvatex: More Than $15 Million Raised to Build a Better Class of Sustainable Materials and Drive the Green Revolution
Marc Borrett
CEO & Co-Founder of Reactive Technologies
Marc Borrett, CEO & Co-Founder of Reactive Technologies: $80 Million Raised to Build the Future of Grid Measurement
Kameale Terry
Co-Founder and CEO of ChargerHelp!
Kameale Terry, Co-Founder and CEO of ChargerHelp!: Over $20 Million Raised to Build the Future of Electric Vehicle Infrastructure
Matt Loszak
CEO & Co-Founder of Aalo Atomics
Matt Loszak, CEO & Co-Founder of Aalo Atomics: $33 Million Raised to Build the Future of Nuclear Energy
Dr. Kai-Philipp Kairies
CEO and Co-Founder of Accure
Dr. Kai-Philipp Kairies, CEO & Co-Founder of Accure: $18.5 Million Raised to Build the Future of Battery Intelligence
Manik Suri
Manik Suri, CEO and Founder of Therma: $30 Million Raised to Build the Cooling Intelligence Category
Francesco Volpe
Founder of Renaissance Fusion
Francesco Volpe, Founder of Renaissance Fusion: $30M Raised to Build the Future of Nuclear Fusion Technology
Iain Cooper
CEO of SeekOps Inc.
Iain Cooper, CEO of SeekOps, $23 Million Raised to Build the Future of Emissions Monitoring
Zak Lefevre
CEO of ChargeLab
Zak Lefevre, CEO of ChargeLab: $20 Million Raised to Build the Operating System for EV Chargers
Dan Forman
CEO and Co-Founder of Copper Labs
Dan Forman, CEO and Co-Founder of Copper Labs: $13 Million Raised to Enable the Data-Driven Utility of the Future
Allison Wolff
CEO of Vibrant Planet
Allison Wolff, CEO at Vibrant Planet: $34 Million Raised to Build the Future of Land Management Restoration
Thibault Castagne
CEO and Founder of Vianova
Thibault Castagne, CEO and Founder of Vianova: $8.8 Million Raised to Build the Go-To Operating System for the Mobility World
Elizabeth Muller
CEO and Co-Founder of Deep Isolation
Elizabeth Muller, CEO and Co-Founder of Deep Isolation: Over $22 Million Raised to Build the Future of Nuclear Waste Disposal
Michael Witte
CEO & Co-founder of Workrise
Michael Witte, CEO & Co-founder of Workrise: $750 Million Raised to Power the Future of the Energy Industry
Ben Christensen
CEO of Cambium Carbon
Ben Christensen, CEO of Cambium Carbon: $5.5 Million Raised to Build a new Category of Sustainable Wood
Greg Newbloom
CEO and Founder of Membrion
Greg Newbloom, CEO & Founder of Membrion: $23 Million Raised to Build the Future of Industrial Wastewater Treatment Solutions
Kenneth Herschel
CEO and Co-Founder of Viggo
Kenneth Herschel, CEO and Co-Founder of Viggo: Nearly $6 Million Raised to Build the Future of EV Charging Infrastructure
Allen Kramer
Co-Founder & COO of Crux
Allen Kramer, Co-Founder and COO of Crux: $27 Million Raised to Power the Future of Sustainable Finance
John Belizaire
CEO of Soluna
John Belizaire, CEO of Soluna: $180 Million Raised to Power the Future of Renewable Computing for AI
Saurabh Kapoor
CEO & Co-Founder of Metafuels
Saurabh Kapoor, CEO & Co-Founder of Metafuels: $22 Million Raised to Pioneer Synthetic Aviation Fuel Technology
Josh Knauer
Co-Founder of Reseed
Josh Knauer, Co-Founder of Reseed: $5 Million Raised to Build the Future of Carbon Credits for Farmers
Liz Gilligan
CEO & Founder of Material Evolution
Liz Gilligan, CEO & Founder of Material Evolution: $19 Million Raised to Build the Future of Sustainable Cement
Omar Abou-Sayed
Co-Founder & Executive Chairman of Vaulted Deep
Omar Abou-Sayed, Co-Founder & Executive Chairman of Vaulted Deep: $8 Million Raised to Build the Future of Carbon Removal
Antoine Welter
CEO and Co-Founder of Circu Li-ion
Antoine Welter, CEO & Co-Founder of Circu Li-ion: $8.5 Million Raised to Build the Future of Battery Upcycling
Joshua Riedy
CEO and Founder of Thread
Joshua Riedy, CEO and Founder of Thread: $20 Million Raised to Power the Future of Energy Grid Maintenance
Alex Siminoff
Director of Marketing of Parity
Alex Siminoff, Director of Marketing at Parity: Mastering HVAC Optimization with Effective B2B Storytelling
Quentin Scrimshire
CEO and Co-Founder of Modo Energy
Quentin Scrimshire, CEO & Co-Founder of Modo Energy: $20 Million Raised to Build the Energy Asset Benchmarking Category
Kaitlyn Albertoli
CEO and Co-Founder of Buzz Solutions
Kaitlyn Albertoli, CEO and Co-Founder of Buzz Solutions: Nearly $6 Million Raised to Build the Future of Infrastructure Inspection
Arvin Ganesan
CEO of Fourth Power
Arvin Ganesan, CEO of Fourth Power: $20 Million Raised to Build the Future of Energy Storage
Doron Myersdorf
CEO & Co-Founder of StoreDot
Doron Myersdorf, CEO & Co-Founder of StoreDot : $200 Million Raised to Power the Future of Electric Vehicles
Daniel Betts
CEO & Co-Founder of Blue Frontier
Daniel Betts, CEO of Blue Frontier: $47.8M Raised to Revolutionize Air Conditioning with Energy-Storing Smart Climate Technology
Sandeep Ahuja
CEO of Covetool
Sandeep Ahuja, CEO of Covetool: $36 Million Raised to Power the Future of Building Design with AI
Ali Javidan
Co-Founder of Range Energy
Ali Javidan, Co-Founder of Range Energy: $9 Million Raised to Build the Future of Electric Semi-Trucks
Tim Weiss
CEO and Co-Founder of Optera
Tim Weiss, CEO & Co-Founder of Optera: $17.5 Million Raised to Build the Future of Carbon Management and Accounting
Preston Bryant
Preston Bryant, Co-Founder of Momentum: $20 Million Raised to Transform Battery Recycling Through Materials Science Innovation
Matei Stratan
CEO of Ogre
Matei Stratan, CEO of Ogre: $2 Million Raised to Build the Future of Energy Management
Martin Kosak
Head of Marketing of Sensoneo
Event Marketing Mastery: Martin Kosak on Sensoneo’s Success at Trade Shows
Khaled Hassounah
CEO & Founder of Ample
Khaled Hassounah, CEO and Founder of Ample: $290M Raised to Build the Future of EV Batteries
Sid Jha
Founder & CEO of Arbol
Sid Jha, Founder & CEO of Arbol: Over $20 Million Raised to Build the Future of Climate Risk Management