February 9, 2022
The Challenge
Vanti Analytics is an Israeli company that helps manufacturers with artificial intelligence. They integrate all production lines with AI-based algorithms and detect and predict faulty units early on. Vanti provides real-time predictions of manufacturing units’ quality. Vanti’s CEO and Co-Founder, Smadar David, had extensive experience working with technology. She received three degrees from Tel Aviv University, the top engineering school in Israel, a BSc and MSc in mechanical engineering and an MBA, and is deeply knowledgeable through an extensive career in engineering and technology. She had a vision for a more global application for Vanti’s proprietary technology, and identified the US as a large market with an ideal customer base in manufacturing and strategically important to the company. However, given the team’s location in Israel and the lack of networks or travel opportunities to the US, it was challenging to find, vet, and hire business professionals in the US.
The Solution and Results
Alariss connected Smadar to a few sales professionals, including Kate Arndt, who studied engineering at Penn State and went on to a career combining technology and business as a salesperson for a complex product via ExxonMobil, where she was continuously promoted many years in a row. Smadar and Kate immediately felt mutual respect and admiration. Although Kate had other offers from top American companies, she ultimately turned them down and chose to join Vanti Analytics as a senior sales executive. She saw the opportunity to work with a strong female leader and to take on a challenging leadership position herself, as Vanti’s first hire in the US. Kate has been instrumental in setting the tone for the company overseas and creating an international brand for Vanti.
A few months after hiring Kate, Vanti Analytics successfully raised a $16 million Series A, led by Insight Venture Partners, a top VC firm based in New York, which will allow Vanti Analytics to continue scaling their global team. Alariss Global is proud to support exceptional entrepreneurs and teams, and is excited for the next chapter for Vanti Analytics.
Feedback
Smadar, Vanti’s CEO, is happy with Kate’s performance. “Kate is very knowledgeable in working with enterprise customers,” Smadar said. “She’s a perfect fit, coming from the manufacturing space, with the eagerness and desire to expand into the startup ecosystem, and she proved herself very worthy of the opportunity, and we’re very happy to have her on board.”
Kate has been pleased with her job so far. “I have loved every day of my new job at Vanti Analytics. I have a great team; I have a great boss. And working with my customers, talking to prospects, it’s been just joyful, to be honest. I’m learning a bunch, and everybody’s nice, so what’s not to like?” she said. “The best part of my job is truly the growth, the continuous learning that comes from working at a startup.”
Kate has enjoyed working with Vanti’s CEO, Smadar David. “She’s been a tremendous leader to me. She is very honest and direct and sincere and a great coach. She inspires me. She’s truly great to work for,” Kate said. “Besides working for her on a daily basis, where she empowers me to hit the ground running and she trusts my input and encourages me to grow, not only does that help Vanti and Vanti’s growth, but it’s also helping me grow.”
Kate has already recommended Alariss to a few of her friends. “If you have any career aspirations to be internationally seeking roles, then you should definitely use Alariss. That’s the best way to get there,” she said. “Alariss is critical in me finding this job; I wouldn’t have known about it if it wasn’t for Alariss. Alariss in and of itself fills a major gap in the market as far as connecting employees with international startups. I think it’s brilliant, it’s very much needed, and I’m very excited that [Alariss exists]. Alariss took the time to really ask me what was important to me and to get to know me, and Alariss’ network of startups and people that were looking for people like me allowed them to find the perfect fit. They used their network, they used their listening skills and their professionalism in order to help match me with the right opportunity, and it was perfect the first time around.”
Smadar, Vanti’s CEO, also recommends Alariss. She said: “I would recommend Alariss because it’s very cost-efficient and also time-efficient, being able to introduce very high-profile, very relevant candidates in a timely manner and also to assist with the entire onboarding and just managing and taking care of the legal aspects of hiring the person in the US. Working with Alariss has brought us all of these advantages and benefits… Alariss introduced us to very high-quality candidates; I think all of the people they introduced us to had very relevant experience for us. I wanted to talk to them. It was very tailored to our needs, so Alariss did a good job in sweeping through the pool of candidates and sending us just the ones that are most relevant. So that really helped us.”
