Episode overview

On this episode of Advantaged, host Drew Beechler sits down with Amplio CEO and co-founder Trey Closson to unpack the journey from corporate supply chain leader to venture-backed founder, and the hard-earned lessons behind Amplio’s major product pivot. They explore how Sprint Week at Koch Industries sparked Amplio’s creation, why surplus industrial inventory became the company’s true north, and what it really takes for startups and corporations to experiment together successfully.

Episode breakdown

Trey’s non-linear path from philosophy major to supply chain operator to founder
Sprint Week: how Amplio was born
Why private ownership structure can enable longer-term, experiment-friendly decision-making
Amplio’s first act: predictive supply chain risk software
Early customer traction and raising a seed round from Construct Capital, Slow Ventures, Alpaca, High Alpha, and Flexport
The catalyst for a pivot: surplus inventory
Building a marketplace for surplus assets, decommissioned industrial equipment, and raw materials
Working with strategic corporate investors
Why corporates must place real experimental bets—often through external startups—to sustain long-term growth

Featured Guests

Trey Closson – CEO & Co-founder, Amplio

Host: Drew Beechler – VP of Marketing, Alloy Partners

Referenced in the Show

All In Podcast – Dave Ricks interview on GLP-1s, obesity, and building an innovation culture at Eli Lilly
Flexport – Modern freight forwarding and logistics platform
Georgia-Pacific – Koch Industries company where Trey led international logistics and experienced entrepreneurial corporate culture.
Koch Industries – Privately held industrial conglomerate that partnered with Alloy Partners to create Amplio.
Amplio Seed Round — Led by Construct Capital with participation from Slow Ventures, Alpaca VC, Flexport, High Alpha, and others.
Amplio $11M Series A — Led by Hitachi Ventures & Yamaha Ventures.

Resources

https://www.amplio.com/
https://www.alloypartners.com/
Advantaged: An Alloy Partners Podcast – Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
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Advantaged: An Alloy Partners Podcast