Startup Corner: PAXAFE

“It Was Never the App,” is the core argument in Ilya Preston’s recent blog post. And the argument is simple but powerful: most startups, and even entire industries, misdiagnose the real problem. In cold chain logistics, companies poured billions into visibility tools (apps, dashboards, and sensors) believing more data would solve product loss. But the issue wasn’t lack of visibility; it was the absence of decision-making systems and orchestration. Data without context, workflows, and actionability only creates noise, not outcomes. Ilya highlights that real value comes from connecting planning, execution, and feedback loops into a continuous system that enables faster, smarter decisions—not just better monitoring. The takeaway for founders is clear: don’t build surface-level solutions to poorly defined problems. Instead, go deeper, understand the full system, identify where decisions break down, and design products that drive action, not just insight.

Ilya Preston is the founder and CEO of PAXAFE, a logistics orchestration and AI‑powered decision intelligence platform for cold chain and high‑value supply chains. Its software goes beyond basic visibility by contextualizing real‑time IoT and shipment data, quantifying risk, and offering actionable recommendations that help companies reduce product loss, optimize operations, and make smarter decisions proactively—especially for temperature‑sensitive goods like pharmaceuticals and perishables.

Connected Insights: Conviction in the absence of traditional metrics

We had an interesting conversation with Karthee Madasamy in episode #107, and a key theme unique to deeptech emerged: the importance of conviction in the absence of traditional metrics. In deep tech, progress is rarely measured by revenue or customer growth early on, but by technical milestones that signal feasibility and future impact. This requires investors and founders to think differently about what “traction” really means. Karthee emphasizes that the strongest founders don’t rely on projections; instead, they clearly articulate the problem, explain why it matters, and demonstrate why their solution is uniquely positioned for where the market is heading. This aligns with a broader pattern across top operators and investors: early-stage success is less about proving the present and more about convincingly mapping the future. Ultimately, whether in deep tech or other domains, building belief, grounded in insight, is what unlocks early support.