Cleva GTM brain

category

market profile

• text: Nigerian freelancers and remote workers need to receive international earnings while managing exchange fees and currency volatility.
• text: Cleva also serves diaspora remittances and African businesses receiving foreign payments, competing in a crowded fintech market.

personas

• title: Nigeria-based freelance developer or remote employee
  pains:

  • Receiving foreign client or employer payments with predictable fees
  • Holding dollars and converting to naira as needed
• title: African diaspora professional
  pains:

  • Sending money to relatives quickly
  • Paying family utility bills across borders
• title: African SME founder
  pains:

  • Receiving overseas customer or investor payments in a business name
  • Managing local currency depreciation

icp

• text: Remote workers, contractors and freelancers in Africa with foreign income, especially Nigeria.
• text: African SMEs and startups with international customers or investors; account size is not specified.
• text: US-based Africans sending money or paying bills for family in Nigeria.

message pillars

• text: Receive international earnings in major currencies.
• text: Keep Upwork deposits free of transaction fees.
• text: Fund transfers with a card or stablecoins.
• text: Save in dollars and earn rewards.

objections

• objection: Are my funds safe?
  response: Explain the licensed US financial partners and FinCEN registration, and clarify applicable protections and limits.
• objection: How much will receiving money cost?
  response: Show fees for the customer's specific rail; ACH, wire and stablecoin deposits differ.
• objection: Can I access the funds locally?
  response: Show local transfers and currency conversion, including the applicable exchange rate.

competitors

• name: Wise
  why: Alternative multicurrency account and international transfer provider.
• name: Payoneer
  why: Alternative for cross-border freelancer and business receipts.
• name: LemFi
  why: Alternative for diaspora remittances to Nigeria, named in BusinessDay's market coverage.

keywords

• Nigeria USD account
• receive Upwork payments Nigeria
• send money to Nigeria from US
• dollar savings Nigeria
• international payments for African freelancers
• virtual dollar card Nigeria

voice

• Accessible and conversational
• Optimistic about financial freedom
• Direct about fees and convenience

signals

• text: Starting a remote role or freelance contract with an overseas employer creates a need for foreign currency receipts.
• text: An African startup receiving foreign investor capital or customer payments may need a business currency account.

stack

• AWS
• Python
• TypeScript

hiring

• Senior Software Engineer, remote

pricing

motion

channels

• Referrals
• Ambassadors
• Influencers
• App stores
• Blog

confidence

Founders

• name: Tolu Alabi
  title: Founder/CEO
  role: CEO
  bio: Tolu brings relevant experience from her time as a Lead Product Manager building Issuing and Banking products at Stripe. Prior to Stripe, she was a Senior PM at Amazon working on multiple products from Logistics to Augmented Reality. In addition, she has an MBA from Stanford GSB and a B.A in Computer Science and Mathematics from Grinnell College. Outside of work, she loves to play multiple sports (for now tennis and basketball). She's also a huge Lebron fan.
• name: Philip Abel
  title: Founder/CTO
  role: CTO
  bio: Philip has spent years building large-scale, multi-region infrastructure and services at industry leaders including AWS, Twilio, and Akamai Technologies. Originally from Nigeria, his journey took him from Kano to MIT and Georgia Tech, where he studied computer science. His story is one of resilience, curiosity, and a deep commitment to using technology to make a positive impact on the world. Outside of work, Philip is a lifelong FC Barcelona supporter and a devoted Lionel Messi fan.