MacOs Catalina doesn't fully boot until you log in
If you've turned on Disk Encryption, then you might get the login from a small boot partition, which then boots the 'real' system after you've authenticated the unencryption with your password.

Alternatively, it may be that Catalina's increased security is more cautious about how third-party software launches at this stage.

If you have just updated to Catalina, then you will need to check that your apps are compatible with Catalina. You may need new versions. 

The other option, if your Mac is located in a secure location, is to turn on auto-login in System Preferences > Users &amp; Groups > Login Options.