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Josef Brunner
CEO at Relayr
Professional Background
Josef Brunner is a highly accomplished entrepreneur, investor, and mentor in the tech industry, known for his significant contributions to the field of digital transformation and security. As the founder and proud CEO of Relayr, a prominent Internet of Things (IoT) company, Josef has been instrumental in driving innovation and creating solutions that make the world a better digital place. Relayr's success culminated in its acquisition by MunichRE, showcasing Josef's exceptional leadership and vision in the tech sector.
Before establishing Relayr, Josef was deeply involved in the tech landscape, having founded JouleX, a leader in energy management solutions for data centers and enterprise IT. His efforts with JouleX led to its successful acquisition by Cisco, where Josef continued to make his mark as Chief Architect of Cisco Services. His tenure at Cisco saw him influence the way the company approached IT services, contributing to advancements that integrate sustainability into technology management.
Josef’s career also includes significant roles in security and networking, having served as Director of Security Sales for Central and Eastern Europe and the Asia-Pacific region at Enterasys Networks. His time at Enterasys was marked by strategic initiatives that strengthened the company’s position in the global security market. In addition, he has held prominent roles in companies like Bastille Networks, where he served as Founder and CTO, and Azlan, where he was the Head of Security. These experiences have endowed Josef with a rich understanding of the challenges and opportunities present in the tech industry, particularly in security and IoT domains.
Education and Achievements
Josef Brunner’s educational background laid the groundwork for his illustrious career in technology and entrepreneurship. His commitment to continuous learning, innovation, and his passion for technology have always propelled him forward. Though the specifics of his formal education may not be widely publicized, Josef has continually sought to acquire knowledge and skills that align with the fast-evolving tech landscape, ensuring he stays at the forefront of industry trends.
Throughout his career, Josef has been an advocate for sustainable and responsible technology practices. He believes in the power of technology to not only enhance operational efficiency but also contribute positively to society and the environment. This philosophy is evident in the solutions offered by both JouleX and Relayr, which focus on optimizing resource utilization and fostering connectivity in a responsible manner.
Achievements
Josef Brunner's journey is marked by numerous noteworthy achievements. The founding of JouleX stands out as a pivotal moment in his career, where his vision for energy efficiency in IT infrastructure took shape. The acquisition by Cisco not only validated his innovative approach but also expanded the reach of JouleX’s technology to a global audience.
At Relayr, his leadership has inspired a culture of innovation and collaboration, enabling the company to thrive in the competitive IoT market. Under his guidance, Relayr developed groundbreaking IoT solutions that empower businesses to maximize their operational efficiency and transform their business models. The acquisition by MunichRE further emphasizes the value Relayr brings to the insurance and financial sectors, where IoT is increasingly becoming a key component in risk assessment and management.
Josef has also made significant contributions to the field of security through his various roles, particularly at Enterasys Networks and Bastille Networks, where he has been at the helm of technological advancement and strategic positioning. His efforts in enhancing security frameworks and promoting innovative network solutions have played a crucial role in shaping the industry's landscape.
In addition to his roles as a leader and entrepreneur, Josef is also a dedicated mentor and investor. He actively invests in and supports emerging technology startups, sharing his wealth of experience and knowledge with the next generation of tech innovators. His commitment to mentoring exemplifies his belief in the potential of technology to effect positive change.
Josef Brunner is not only shaping the future of technology through his own companies, but he is also empowering others to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams, fostering a collaborative environment where creativity and innovation can flourish. His journey is a testament to the impact one person can have on the tech industry and the world, continuously striving to make it a better (digital) place.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Clay offers several powerful features including:
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- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
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- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Clay is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Clay takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Clay encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Clay work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Clay is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
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Yes, Clay offers extensive integration capabilities. Clay introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Clay supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Clay also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
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Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Clay has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Clay a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Clay's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Clay as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Clay eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.
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