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Clickatell

Pieter de Villiers, Co-Founder and CEO of Clickatell

Pieter de Villiers is a visionary South African-born entrepreneur and global thought leader in Conversational AI and Chat Commerce. Recently featured on CNN for his groundbreaking work revolutionizing e-commerce across Africa, Pieter has dedicated over two decades to transforming the global telecoms, mobile messaging, and mobile payments landscape.

As the CEO and co-founder of Clickatell, Inc., he has propelled the company into a leading global provider of Application-to-Person (A2P) mobile messaging and transactional services. Under his dynamic leadership, Clickatell was the 1st company globally to enable Chat Banking and Chat Commerce in WhatsApp and the company has grown into a $130 million+, profitable enterprise operating across multiple continents, empowering Fortune 500 brands and over 13,000 businesses in 224 countries and territories.

Pieter’s entrepreneurial spirit is reflected in his roles as a dedicated ‘pay it forward’ Endeavor Entrepreneur and YPO member. He is the founder and chairman of SiMODiSA (www.SiMODiSA.org) an initiative passionately focused on accelerating startup success for South African entrepreneurs. Committed to fostering innovation and collaboration, he also co-founded and serves on the board of The Collective X (www.TheCollectiveX.org) aimed at establishing South Africa as a serious role player in the global digital economy.

His innovative contributions have earned him prestigious accolades, including an IT Personality nomination and recognition by Fast Company. Early in his career, Pieter was named one of Global Telecoms Business’s “Top 40 Under 40” executives poised to lead the telecoms industry into the future.

A recognized authority in the mobile industry, Pieter actively participates in leading organizations such as the GSM Association, CTIA, Open Mobile Alliance, Wireless Application Service Provider Association, and Mobile Data Association. His expertise makes him a sought-after speaker at global conferences, including the GSM Mobile World Congress, Mobile Money Africa, and the International CTIA Wireless Conference.

Having spent approximately a decade in Silicon Valley, where he raised over $120m in venture capital from institutional investors including Sequoia Capital, Ethos Private Equity, Founder Collective, etc. Pieter serves as adviser to several parties including early stage companies and as venture partner. Pieter honed his passion for leveraging technology to empower people and businesses. His commitment extends to banking the unbanked and driving financial inclusion through mobile banking and mobile money initiatives.

Beyond his professional pursuits, Pieter is a proud father of three wonderful children and has been happily married for over 25 years. An avid mountain biking enthusiast, he balances his dynamic career with his love for adventure, enduring friendships and family.

Specialties: Conversational AI, Chat Commerce, Mobile Messaging, Mobile Banking, Mobile Money, Telecoms, Banking the Unbanked, Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital, Angel Investment, Innovation and Leadership.