Clerk — Startup Profile
Complete user management for modern apps
HQ: San Francisco, CA | Founded: 2021 | Employees: 150+ | Stage: Series C | Website: https://clerk.com
About
Clerk is a user management and authentication platform designed for modern web applications. It provides pre-built UI components, SDKs, and backend session management for frameworks including React, Next.js, Remix, and Clerk also supports organizations, multi-tenancy, and a wide range of OAuth providers. The company is headquartered in San Francisco and serves a global customer base ranging from early-stage startups to enterprise teams.
The Take
Clerk has established itself as the leading auth-as-a-service provider for modern web frameworks, with a developer-first approach that has driven strong adoption among Next.js and React shops. The 2025 Series C and continued Stripe partnership signal confidence in the company's ability to expand from core authentication into adjacent identity and account management use cases.
Key Metrics
- Latest Valuation: Series C (June 2025)
- Last Round: Series C — June 2025
- Total Funding: $60M+ across Series B and Series C
- Headcount: 150+
- Founded: 2021
- Key Investors: CRV, Stripe, Andreessen Horowitz, Madrona
Funding Rounds
- Round: $30M (2022-04-29) — Sageview Capital
- Round: $30M (2024-01-23) — CRV
- Round: Not publicly disclosed (2025-06-17) — Not publicly disclosed
Key People
- Colin McDowell
- Braden Walker
Key Competitors
- Auth0 (Okta) —
- Supabase Auth —
- Firebase Authentication (Google) —
- NextAuth.js (Auth.js) —
Timeline Highlights
- 2025-09-01: SDK Major Version Release
- 2025-06-17: Series C Funding
- 2024-01-23: Series B Extension ($30M) + Stripe Partnership
- 2022-04-29: Series B ($30M)
- 2021: Company Founded
Recent News
- Clerk closes Series C funding round in June 2025 (2025-06-17)
- Clerk raises $30M Series B from CRV and Stripe (2024-01-23)
- Clerk continues SDK development with major version releases (2025-02-01)
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