Laats, chairman and CEO of PodZinger, co-founded PodZinger as part of BBN Technologies Delta Division. A proven entrepreneur and communications expert, Laats provides the vision and leadership for PodZinger's groundbreaking audio and video search business.

Laats has started, funded and advised early-stage technology businesses since the early 1990s. In addition to his duties as CEO of PodZinger, Laats currently leads BBN Technologies' Delta Division, where he actively develops and manages new business opportunities based on BBN's technology. Prior to joining BBN, Laats was a venture partner at Commonwealth Capital, an early stage venture capital firm, where he specialized in the areas of enterprise information technology and communications infrastructure. Previously, he was president, CEO and co-founder of Informio, Inc., a provider of VoiceXML services for large enterprises. Prior to founding Informio, Laats served as the chairman, COO and co-founder of NBX Corporation, a manufacturer of VoIP-based business communications systems. NBX Corporation was successfully acquired by 3Com Corporation. Laats came to NBX from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he was a technology licensing officer involved with multiple start-up businesses based on MIT technology. Laats began his career as a corporate attorney at Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault in Boston.

Laats is a co-author of VoiceXML, which examines the future of the wireless industry, wireless devices, killer-apps in the wireless industry, and other global wireless issues. He is a frequent speaker and has contributed his expertise to events, including:

AlwaysOn OnHollywood, 2006
iHollywood Forum –Digital Media Summit, 2006
Boston University's Podcast Academy, 2006
Babson Entrepreneurial Exchange, April 2005
Streaming Media West, 2000
MIT Enterprise Forum "Lessons Learned"
MIT Enterprise Forum of the Northwest

Laats earned a J.D. from Harvard University and physics and math degrees from MIT.