Date: 10.11.2025 (2025-11-10)
Dennis Körner (10.11.2025) • https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennis-koerner-15584065/ • CFO at ClearOps in Munich (47ppl) • Found them on LinkedIn • Reduce working capital 20% • By ensuring the right parts and machines are in stock and distributed correctly, working capital commitments are reduced by 20% on average. • My message: • Ich bin auf Ihr Profil gestossen, da ich ClearOps schon länger kenne und kürzlich die Partnerschaft mit Celonis gesehen habe! • Wir entwickeln proprietäre KI-Modelle für Controlling & Accounting, die auch für komplexe Fälle trainiert sind - etwa mehrere Purchase Orders auf einer Rechnung, Price-Variance-Tolerances bei Lieferanten etc. • Ziel ist eine ~60% Automatisierung in AP/AR und auch 50% weniger Aufwand beim Closing & Reporting - ohne neues SaaS-Tool, direkt integriert in bestehende Systeme (auch ohne API) und angepasst an aktuelle Prozesse. • Reply: • Wir können gerne nächste Woche mal ne halbe Stunde sprechen.
Notes: • General • He is alone the finance department • Buchhalter via external Steuerberater • Monthly close ca. 10-20h • Freelancer via their family office helps with payments a bit • They do not help with FP&A and Controlling • Weekly effort: • Tax, Admin, Legal, • Also a bit of operations etc. • He reviews all data and all numbers • 30%: • He does pre-accounting, payments, Vorkontierung • He does reporting, CF management • 30% • Atm also fundraising • 40% • They do enterprise SaaS -> he does legal as well • Mostly bootstrapped • CF mgmt is very important -> built one big bottom up model to track financials • Does not scale longterm • He knows the common FP&A tools • APs are much more than AR (only a few large customers) • He thinks to get a working student für Vorbuchhaltung • Tools & Automation: • Finway: Rechnungseingang, CC, Voraccounting • Is very good because he can send to Datev • Game changer: • Virtual CC • Interactive Rechnungsfreigabe • He can democratise spending but still control it • Spendesk, Payhawk -> you can give everyone a CC but in preaccounting it is messy • A guy travels -> most tools can not split an invoice to multiple Konten • He can pay directly out of Finway • Most tools are from US - most are not connected to Datev -> he can not work with them • USA company: • Quickbooks, Brecs-> way more automated • He did not look into detail there which features are best • Very intuitive to create Kontenrahmen • Integration with Konto • They have a lot of AI Agents -> classify Payments for Cash Flash System • Freemium model • Very intuitive -> you do not have to be an accountant • Datev is super complex • Herzstück einer guten Buchhaltung: Kostenkontenrahmen -> has to represent the Biz Model • He does PowerQuery to run analytics • Biggest objections / challenges in his daily life? • See below • Most valuable flows for him? • I Asked re AP: • Finway does cover the AP flow - but not intelligently • You can create Limits per Suppliers • Sanity check via Approval processes -> check Betrag etc. • Duplicate Warnung -> e.g. two people have the same invoices loaded up • Supplier -> difficult to automate • Supplier Portal • Email • Stripe -> you can not write to them • Rechnung has to be downloaded from Stripe • Agent that has login credentials that can execute stuff • Supplier management • They do it adhoc • Can be stored in Finway • He does it proactively -> all in his field of responsibility • Tools: Sastrify • No good experience -> • SaaS: account manager switch often -> negotiation potential is limited • Context: team setup? internal and external? • • Which tasks are the biggest pain? With magic wand -> what would he solve? • Most is automated via Finway • They remind users to upload invoices - but people are not doing it • Run behind people to get stuff • Special invoices • Intelligent connection to the bank account • Every month in the first week he does Cash in, Cash out analysis to his CEO • He has to manually export all transactions and classify manually to split up in categories • Finway tries it but does not manage it • Agicap tries forecasting -> ist zu grob • Connection of forecast to IST value • API to bank is not a problem -> it is in Datev • Finway has also a virtual bank account • No intelligent analysis • E.g. the payment of customer 5 is missing or an amount is different -> he does it manually • Finway does not manage it -> classify CF -> understand forecast • Some bank accounts export the IBAN as well -> can be used for matching • Kontobewegung has not much to do with business -> zeitlich unterschiedlich, konsolidiert • E.g. Datev sends one Sammelüberweisung für alle Mitarbeiter -> not per employee -> to check you have to go to Personal-Datev and check per line manually • Krankenkassen buchen separat, Finanzamt as well, Nettogehälter as well at different time • Which tasks would he focus on? • • Do they already have automations? Which ones? How well do they work? • • Which companies would he target? • • General feedback to pitch? •