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Manuel Koser
Co-Founder & Managing Director at Silvertree Brands
Professional Background
Manuel Koser is a dynamic entrepreneur and seasoned investor with a robust background in international business and law. He began his impressive career at The Boston Consulting Group, a globally renowned management consulting firm where he honed his analytical and strategic skills as a Junior Associate and Associate. His time at BCG equipped him with essential insights into varied industries and markets, laying a solid foundation for his future entrepreneurial ventures.
Following his stint at Boston Consulting Group, Manuel had a groundbreaking role in the African e-commerce landscape as he founded and managed Jumia Nigeria (Jumia.com.ng), which has become one of the leading online retail platforms on the continent. His leadership contributed significantly to establishing Jumia's presence in Nigeria during the early stages of e-commerce development in the region. Additionally, Manuel was integral to the success of ZANDO (ZANDO.co.za), a leading fashion e-commerce platform, where he served as the Managing Director. His visionary approach guided ZANDO to commercialization success and cemented its reputation in the competitive South African fashion market.
In addition to these key ventures, Manuel’s entrepreneurial spirit shone through in his role as Co-Founder and Managing Director at Silvertree Brands, a tech holding company that specializes in scaling e-commerce businesses and investing in promising ventures across the continent. Under his leadership, Silvertree Capital has made notable marks on the tech industry, nurturing emerging brands and fostering growth within the sector.
Education and Achievements
Manuel's academic journey is characterized by his pursuit of excellence in international business and law. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in International Business from Maastricht University, a prestigious institution known for its comprehensive management programs. He further broadened his expertise by completing a BSc in Law at FernUniversität in Hagen, where he acquired valuable legal insights that complement his business acumen.
In pursuit of global exposure, Manuel also participated in an exchange semester at Università Bocconi, a leading university in Milan recognized for its rigorous business programs. This diverse educational experience underpins his strategic thinking and provides him with a unique perspective on international business operations.
Before embarking on his higher education journey, Manuel demonstrated academic excellence by completing his Abitur at the Gymnasium der Stadt Baesweiler, where his foundational education set the stage for his future academic and professional pursuits.
Notable Contributions and Investments
In addition to his leadership roles, Manuel Koser is widely recognized for his contributions as an angel investor and advisor to various startups throughout his career. His keen eye for innovation and potential has led him to invest in numerous ventures, including:
- Cogsy: A strategic investment enhancing visibility in inventory management.
- Dogo - Your Dog's Favorite App: A pet care application that gained traction in the growing pet technology sector.
- Syfe: An innovative investment platform democratizing financial services.
- Enter, Inc.: A pioneering company aimed at transforming traditional business models.
- Rippling: A revolutionary HR and IT management tool.
- Click2Sure: A digital insurance platform facilitating accessible insurance solutions.
- Luca Faloni: A brand dedicated to high-quality Italian apparel.
His former roles include Non-Executive Director at Finclusion Group, where he provided strategic oversight and guidance to promote financial inclusion, and as an Angel Investor at Sprout Performance Partners, focusing on business growth strategies. Manuel’s extensive involvement in the tech ecosystem highlights his commitment to fostering innovation and supporting aspiring entrepreneurs.
Leadership in Organizations
As someone who is not only an entrepreneur but also a mentor, Manuel has served in key organizational roles that impact various sectors. This includes his position as a Non-Executive Director at Sprout Performance Partners, supporting impactful business decisions with his rich industry expertise.
His leadership in multiple organizations has further showcased his versatility, whether contributing to growing tech start-ups or driving performance improvements within established firms. His strategic insight has been paramount in guiding these organizations towards achieving their goals and maximizing their market potential.
Vision for the Future
Manuel Koser's extensive background in international business, coupled with his sharp entrepreneurial edge and investment acumen, has positioned him as a thought leader in the tech and e-commerce industries. He continues to seek innovative opportunities, pushing boundaries in the business landscape while mentoring the next generation of entrepreneurs. His passion for seeing others succeed is reflected through his investments, advisory roles, and active participation in the ecosystem.
In summary, Manuel Koser is not just a visionary entrepreneur but a steadfast supporter of innovation and growth within the business realm. His journey is a testament to the possibilities that exist when one combines education, strategic foresight, and active engagement in their field. With a commitment to fostering new ideas and a track record of building successful ventures, Manuel stands as a prominent figure in the international business and technology landscape.
Achievements
- Founded and managed Jumia Nigeria
- Founded and managed ZANDO.co.za
- Co-Founder & Managing Director at Silvertree Capital
- Seed Investor in multiple successful startups
- Non-Executive Director roles across various organizations
Highlights
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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.
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Clay is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Clay is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
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.
Clay is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
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 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.
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