Clerky for Startups
Clerky for Startups: Discounted legal docs through 50+ accelerator partnerships
Legal paperwork automation trusted by Y Combinator — discounted access for accelerator-backed founders.
- The de facto YC standard
- Saves real legal fees
- Documents investors expect to see
- Self-serve, fast turnaround
About Clerky for Startups
Most "startup credit programs" hand out cloud hosting dollars. Clerky's offer is different and, for the right founder, more valuable: it replaces thousands of dollars of legal billables for incorporation, founder stock, SAFEs, and priced equity rounds. Here is how the program actually works in 2026, who qualifies, and whether it is worth chasing.
- What you get: Discounted or free access to Clerky's full suite of US startup legal document packages
- Who qualifies: Founders enrolled at one of Clerky's 50+ partner accelerators
- Typical value: Replaces $2K–$15K of legal work per major company milestone
- Biggest caveat: Not a public credit program — independent founders pay retail
- Bottom line: Buy if you are accelerator-affiliated; otherwise still a strong product, just not a "credit"
What is Clerky for Startups?
Clerky is a legal-tech company that turns the most common startup legal workflows into structured, self-serve software. Instead of booking time with a startup lawyer to draft incorporation papers, founder stock issuances, 83(b) elections, SAFEs, or priced equity rounds, founders answer a guided Q&A and receive the same documents that a top-tier Silicon Valley law firm would produce — but in days instead of weeks, and at a fraction of the cost.
The "for Startups" framing is less a standalone program and more the way the company onboards accelerator cohorts. Clerky has long-standing partnerships with most major US accelerators (Y Combinator is the highest-profile example) and many international programs. Through these partnerships, founders at participating accelerators get Clerky's packages at no cost or a steeply reduced rate as part of the program's standard benefits stack.
Who qualifies for the discount?
The accelerator discount is not an open application. You qualify by being enrolled at a partner accelerator, which means the program is essentially curated — your accelerator chooses to make Clerky available as part of its perks stack. If you are in Y Combinator, Techstars, or any of the dozens of partner programs, the discount is usually activated automatically during onboarding.
Independent founders, bootstrap operators, and startups that are not currently in a partner accelerator do not get the discount and will pay Clerky's published retail prices per package. That is the single biggest caveat of the program and the main reason this review sits at "buy" rather than "buy with no reservations." The product is excellent; the gatekeeping is real.
✓ Apply if you:
- You are forming a Delaware C-Corp for the first time
- You are enrolled at a partner accelerator and can activate the discount
- You are raising a SAFE or priced round in the next 6 months
- You want to skip the back-and-forth with a startup lawyer for standard docs
- You plan to hire your first employee with equity
✗ Skip if you:
- You are not at a partner accelerator and want a "free" program
- You have a non-US entity or complex international structure
- Your cap table is highly bespoke and needs bespoke docs
- You face IP litigation, regulatory matters, or other non-standard legal work
- You already have a startup lawyer producing your documents
What you get in the program
Clerky's product is structured as a menu of packages, each covering a distinct legal milestone. The accelerator discount typically covers the standard formation stack end-to-end, with some variation by partner.
Incorporation + 83(b)
Automated Delaware C-Corp formation, founder stock issuance, and the 30-day 83(b) election filing with the IRS — the package most founders need on day one.
SAFE financing
YC-style post-money SAFE template that most US angel and seed investors expect to see, with clean signing flow and cap table output.
Priced equity round
Stock Purchase Agreement, Investor Rights Agreement, Voting Agreement, ROFR/Co-Sale, and amended charter — the full priced-round bundle.
Hiring + equity
Offer letters, NDAs, IP assignment, board and stockholder consents, and a stock option plan that integrates with your existing cap table.
Cap table handoff
Output compatible with the major equity admin platforms, so historical accuracy is preserved when you later onboard a tool like Pulley, AngelList, or Carta.
Document storage
Signed documents are stored in the Clerky account and exportable in PDF, so you have a permanent record of every signed instrument.
Clerky pricing and discount tiers
Clerky prices per package rather than as a single bundle, which can make headline comparisons tricky. The accelerator program typically unlocks a combination of packages at no cost; the exact coverage depends on the partner.
| Tier | Who it's for | Typical cost | What's included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard (DIY retail) | Any founder, no accelerator | Per package, varies | Any single package (incorporation, SAFE, priced round, hiring, etc.) at published retail price |
| Accelerator Partner Discount | Founders at partner programs (YC, Techstars, and 50+ others) | Free or steeply discounted per package | Most or all of the standard formation stack; coverage varies by partner |
| Add-on modules | Anyone (including partner founders) | Per add-on | 409A coordination, additional option grants, second SAFE, foreign founder variants — partner coverage varies |
How to apply for the discount
- Confirm your accelerator is a partner. Ask your program manager, founder-success contact, or check your accelerator's perks page. Clerky partners with 50+ programs globally, but the list is not always public.
- Get your activation link or code. Most partners include it in the onboarding portal, a welcome email, or a perks dashboard. Some partners embed the link directly in the deal-platform workspace.
- Create your Clerky account via the partner link. Signing up through the correct URL ensures the discount is applied to your account and the correct packages are unlocked.
- Pick the right package for your stage. Start with incorporation and founder stock if you are pre-funding; add SAFE once you have a lead investor; add the priced round package when a term sheet lands.
- Store and export your documents. Keep the PDFs in a permanent archive (your data room, a cloud folder, or your equity platform). You will need them at fundraising, hiring, and diligence.
Clerky vs alternatives
The honest comparison set is short, because the well-funded self-serve legal stack for startups is not crowded. Stripe Atlas, Firstbase, and Clerky are the three names founders actually compare in 2026.
| Feature | Clerky | Stripe Atlas | Firstbase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary strength | Legal paperwork for fundraising | Bank + payments stack for new companies | International founder incorporation |
| Discount via accelerator | Yes (50+ partners) | Occasional partner codes | Partner-dependent |
| Best for SAFEs and priced rounds | Yes — the canonical option | Limited | Limited |
| Best for international founders | Limited (US-doc focused) | Moderate | Yes — strongest of the three |
| Self-serve, no lawyer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Final verdict
Clerky for Startups is a credit program in the loose sense — it is not a public, deck-based program you can pitch your way into, and there is no formal "credit balance" to draw down. What it actually offers is something better for the right founder: a high-quality, investor-familiar set of legal documents at zero or near-zero cost, gated by accelerator affiliation. If you are at a partner program, the activation is trivial and the value is real. If you are not, you can still buy the product at retail — it is still one of the best self-serve legal tools in the US startup stack. Either way, it earns a buy.
Activate discounted or free legal paperwork through your accelerator, or sign up directly at retail pricing to access the same trusted documents used by Y Combinator companies.
Apply for Clerky →Activation is handled through your accelerator's onboarding portal. Independent founders can sign up directly on the Clerky site.
Capabilities
- • Automated Delaware C-Corp incorporation filing
- • One-click 83(b) tax election generation and mailing
- • Founder stock issuance with 83(b) letters
- • SAFE and convertible note templates (post-money)
- • Series Seed and Series A equity financing document sets
- • Stock option plan setup with board and stockholder consents
- • HIRE package: offer letters, NDAs, IP assignment, 409A coordination
- • Cap table output compatible with Pulley, AngelList, Carta
How to claim
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Click claim
Hit the button on this page — opens the partner site in a new tab.
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Sign up through the partner link
No code needed — the offer applies automatically when you register through our Clerky for Startups link.
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Offer applies automatically
No surcharge to you — verified by the SaaSTweaks Deal Desk, not the vendor.
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