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Sankalp Gupta
Partner at Tanglin I Technology Venture Capital Investor
Professional Background
Sankalp Gupta is a distinguished partner at Tanglin Venture Partners, an early-stage venture capital firm that focuses on technology-driven businesses across India and Southeast Asia. Under his guidance, Tanglin aspires to forge long-term partnerships with entrepreneurs aiming to solve local challenges through innovative technology solutions. The firm's diverse portfolio includes a variety of sectors such as Software as a Service (SaaS), fintech, B2B commerce/services, digital health, and consumer technology. Notable companies within this portfolio include well-recognized brands like Credgenics, Jupiter Bank, Plum Insurance, and Inshorts, which reflect Tanglin’s commitment to investing in promising startups that leverage technology to create impactful solutions.
Before his pivotal role at Tanglin, Sankalp served as Senior Director in the corporate development team at Flipkart, one of India’s largest e-commerce platforms. He played a crucial role in spearheading minority investments and managing mergers and acquisitions (M&A) transactions. His strategic thinking and operational insight were instrumental in conceptualizing and establishing new business initiatives, as well as augmenting advanced technology capabilities for Flipkart. His impactful tenure at Flipkart helped further elevate the company’s standing in India's rapidly evolving digital marketplace.
Prior to his contributions at Flipkart, Sankalp began his career at EY, where he advised technology companies on raising growth capital and orchestrating successful M&A transactions. His comprehensive understanding of the technology finance landscape allowed him to provide valuable insights and support to various clients during pivotal growth periods. His foundations in finance were cemented during his years as an analyst at Goldman Sachs in the investment banking division, where he developed a strong skill set in financial modeling, analytics, and market analysis, vital for making informed investment decisions.
Education and Achievements
Sankalp Gupta's educational trajectory has equipped him with a strong foundation in finance and engineering. He earned his MBA in Finance (PGDM) from the Management Development Institute in Gurgaon, where he honed his analytical skills and strategic thinking capabilities, which would later empower him in his various professional roles in finance and investment.
Before venturing into the domain of finance, he completed a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) in Electrical Engineering from Jamia Millia Islamia, a well-respected institution known for its rigorous academic programs. Sangkalp's engineering background enriches his investment approach at Tanglin, providing him with a unique perspective when evaluating technology-driven startups.
Throughout his career, he has built a strong network in the venture capital and investment banking sectors and has engaged with numerous startups as a board observer or member. His contributions have been notable, including his past roles as a board observer at reputable organizations such as Wildcraft India, BlackBuck (Zinka Logistics Solutions Pvt. Ltd.), Tinystep, and QikPod. These experiences have not only enhanced his understanding of the operational challenges faced by startups but also fostered his ability to provide strategic guidance to emerging businesses.
Ultimately, Sankalp’s work in venture capital and corporate development is marked by a commitment to fostering innovation and supporting growth in the technology sector. His strategic insights are sought after by both startups and established firms looking to navigate the complex landscape of technology-driven investments.
Achievements
Several of Sankalp Gupta's professional roles demonstrate his ability to handle diverse challenges across various sectors, particularly in technology and finance. As a partner at Tanglin Venture Partners, he has been pivotal in identifying and investing in promising startups that drive technological innovation across multiple industries. His leadership and expertise have helped the firm to establish a strong track record, making Tanglin a favored partner for entrepreneurs.
His previous role at Flipkart allowed him to gain comprehensive insights into the workings of a leading e-commerce company, as he led key investment initiatives that strengthened the company’s market position. His background with EY and Goldman Sachs further enhances his credibility, having advised numerous technology companies on growth strategies and financial transactions, which has equipped him with a profound understanding of the startup ecosystem.
In addition to his roles in investment and advisory, Sankalp has also contributed to shaping the future development of several organizations through his involvement on boards, ultimately aiding in their strategic focus and operational growth. His ability to navigate complex financial landscapes and provide valuable guidance demonstrates his strong commitment to fostering entrepreneurial growth, ensuring that he remains a respected figure amongst peers and budding entrepreneurs alike.
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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 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 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 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.
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